Namewise

Heather vs Patricia

Heather and Patriciacompared 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.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1978, Heather was ranked #83 and Patricia #85 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1984, Heather was ranked #89 and Patricia #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2003, Heather was ranked #166 and Patricia #284 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Heather was ranked #325 and Patricia #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Heather was ranked #792 and Patricia #1407 among girls in England and Wales.

Heather and Patricia over time

Heather and Patricia appear together in 4 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Patricia held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Heather in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Patricia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Heather 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.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1984, Heather moved ahead of Patricia in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #94 and #52 the year before became #89 and #98.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Heather and Patricia changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #792 and #1407.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 23 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Heather and Patricia averaged 8.1 places apart, ending at #83 and #85.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Heather and Patricia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #792 and #1407.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Heather #78 in 1996, Patricia #443 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Heather held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Patricia in 35.

    Highest recorded here: Heather #83 in 2003, Patricia #8 in 1965.

    The order changed in 2025: Heather moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #898 and #631; by 2025 that had become #325 and #608.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Heather #325, Patricia #608.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Heather held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Patricia in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Heather #78 in 1996, Patricia #443 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Heather #792, Patricia #1407.

  • New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 1954–1978

    Heather held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Patricia in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Heather #15 in 1955, Patricia #7 in 1955.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1978: Heather #83, Patricia #85.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1952–1984

    Heather held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Patricia in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Heather #44 in 1954, Patricia #8 in 1952.

    The order changed in 1984: Heather moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #94 and #52; by 1984 that had become #89 and #98.

    Most recent shared year, 1984: Heather #89, Patricia #98.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Heather

Pairs where Heather shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Patricia

Pairs where Patricia shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1970s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1970 and 1979.

The 1970s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Heather, Patricia
FieldHeatherPatricia
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Heather has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Patricia.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Heather

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #45 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1954–1983

    Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1983).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #792 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Patricia

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #385 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1954–1978

    Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1978).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1407 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls