Hayden vs Merida
Hayden and Meridacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #5891 and Merida #2411 among girls in England and Wales.
Hayden and Merida over time
Hayden and Merida appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Merida held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Hayden in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Hayden reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Merida in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2013–2024
Hayden held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Merida in 6.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #1400 in 2013, Merida #1490 in 2018.
The order changed in 2018: Merida moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #2502 and #2706; by 2018 that had become #2187 and #1490.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hayden #5891, Merida #2411.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Hayden | Merida |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #790 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hayden has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Merida.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT.
How each name got here
Hayden
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1974–2012
Highest recorded position: #26 among boys in New Zealand, in 1994 (recorded 1974–2012).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Merida
Popularity journey
First recorded2013
First recorded at #3536 among girls in England and Wales in 2013 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2411 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls