Hedda vs Selma
Hedda and Selma compared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Hedda was ranked #10 and Selma #11 among girls in Norway.
Hedda and Selma over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Hedda and Selma over time
Hedda and Selma appear together in 1 published list, across 56 years of shared records. Hedda held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Selma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hedda and Selma changed places 12 times in Norway · Girls between 1963 and 2025, ending at #10 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Hedda and Selma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 56 years, from 1963 to 2025, ending at #10 and #11.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Hedda #7 in 2024, Selma #5 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Girls56 shared years, 1963–2025
Hedda held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Selma in 11.
Highest recorded here: Hedda #7 in 2024, Selma #5 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hedda #10, Selma #11.
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 Hedda
Pairs where Hedda shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Hedda vs Åse
Over 59 shared years in Norway · Girls, Hedda rose about as far as Åse fell — from #460 and #50 in 1963 to #10 and #93 in 2025.
Hedda · Åse · 59 shared years, 1963–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Kristine vs Hedda
Over 59 shared years in Norway · Girls, Hedda rose about as far as Kristine fell — from #151 and #460 in 1963 to #244 and #10 in 2025.
Kristine · Hedda · 59 shared years, 1963–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Hedda vs Lena
Over 59 shared years in Norway · Girls, Hedda rose about as far as Lena fell — from #460 and #113 in 1963 to #10 and #294 in 2025.
Hedda · Lena · 59 shared years, 1963–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Marte vs Hedda
Over 59 shared years in Norway · Girls, Hedda rose about as far as Marte fell — from #277 and #460 in 1963 to #480 and #10 in 2025.
Marte · Hedda · 59 shared years, 1963–2025 · Mirrored each other
Other comparisons involving Selma
Pairs where Selma shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Heidi vs Selma
Over 67 shared years in Norway · Girls, Selma rose about as far as Heidi fell — from #188 and #352 in 1945 to #437 and #11 in 2025.
Heidi · Selma · 67 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Kristin vs Selma
Over 67 shared years in Norway · Girls, Selma rose about as far as Kristin fell — from #130 and #352 in 1945 to #251 and #11 in 2025.
Kristin · Selma · 67 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Selma vs Solveig
Over 67 shared years in Norway · Girls, Selma rose about as far as Solveig fell — from #352 and #14 in 1945 to #11 and #28 in 2025.
Selma · Solveig · 67 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Selma vs Hanne
Over 66 shared years in Norway · Girls, Selma rose about as far as Hanne fell — from #352 and #123 in 1945 to #11 and #318 in 2025.
Selma · Hanne · 66 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
Other pairs with the same kind of relationship
Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — repeatedly exchanged positions.
- Frank vs Vidar
Frank and Vidar changed places 36 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #459 and #478.
Frank · Vidar · 77 shared years, 1945–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
- Helge vs Rolf
Helge and Rolf changed places 35 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #352 and #437.
Helge · Rolf · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
- Stein vs Arild
Stein and Arild changed places 34 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2014, ending at #452 and #408.
Stein · Arild · 67 shared years, 1945–2014 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
- Inger vs Kari
Inger and Kari changed places 33 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #292 and #222.
Inger · Kari · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
Other pairs from Norway lists
Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.
- Ingrid vs Wenche
In 1945 they stood at #27 and #22 in Norway · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2008 they were #6 and #621.
Ingrid · Wenche · 58 shared years, 1945–2008 · Started together, ended far apart
- Anna vs Torill
In 1945 they stood at #38 and #39 in Norway · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2004 they were #10 and #599.
Anna · Torill · 55 shared years, 1945–2004 · Started together, ended far apart
- Ingrid vs Vigdis
In 1945 they stood at #27 and #32 in Norway · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2006 they were #6 and #583.
Ingrid · Vigdis · 52 shared years, 1945–2006 · Started together, ended far apart
- Anna vs Vigdis
In 1945 they stood at #38 and #32 in Norway · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2006 they were #10 and #583.
Anna · Vigdis · 52 shared years, 1945–2006 · Started together, ended far apart
Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s
Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.
- Grace vs Gemma
In 1996 they stood at #41 and #50 in England and Wales · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #27 and #4867.
Grace · Gemma · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Ella vs Gemma
In 1996 they stood at #56 and #50 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #46 and #4867.
Ella · Gemma · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Jasmine vs Gemma
In 1996 they stood at #55 and #50 in England and Wales · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #102 and #4867.
Jasmine · Gemma · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Anna vs Gemma
In 1996 they stood at #47 and #50 in England and Wales · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #142 and #4867.
Anna · Gemma · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Hedda | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | Norway | England and Wales, Republic of Ireland, Norway |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #10 (2025) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hedda and Selma both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Hedda
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #460 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1963–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1963–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2278 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls