Heidi vs Ida
Heidi and Idacompared 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, Heidi was ranked #437 and Ida #37 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #65 and Ida #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #91 and Ida #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #95 and Ida #384 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #107 and Ida #337 among girls in England and Wales.
Heidi and Ida over time
Heidi and Ida appear together in 4 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ida in 1.
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.
Heidi reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Ida in 1. 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 1981, Ida moved ahead of Heidi in Norway · Girls — #19 and #44 the year before became #21 and #18.
- Mirrored each other
Over 81 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ida rose about as far as Heidi fell — from #188 and #204 in 1945 to #437 and #37 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Heidi and Ida were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #437 and #37.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Ida in 49.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #2 in 1965, Ida #1 in 1988.
The order changed in 1981: Ida moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #19 and #44; by 1981 that had become #21 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #437, Ida #37.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ida in 0.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #76 in 2016, Ida #257 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #107, Ida #337.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 1970–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Ida in 0.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #74 in 2019, Ida #406 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #91, Ida #885.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ida in 0.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #48 in 2021, Ida #178 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #65, Ida #337.
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 | Heidi | Ida |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. | Commonly traced to a Germanic element possibly meaning 'work' or 'labour'. |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid | Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ | /ˈiːdɑ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) | Norway · Girls #37 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Heidi is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid origin, while Ida is recorded with a Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition origin.
- Heidi and Ida both have 2 syllables.
- Heidi's recorded meaning differs from Ida's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Ida
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #204 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: #1 among girls in Norway, in 1988 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #37 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls