Heidi vs Lena
Heidi and Lenacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #65 and Lena #288 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #91 and Lena #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #95 and Lena #207 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #130 and Lena #288 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #437 and Lena #294 among girls in Norway.
Heidi and Lena over time
Heidi and Lena appear together in 4 published lists, across 177 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Lena in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lena reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Heidi 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 2006, Lena moved ahead of Heidi in Norway · Girls — #153 and #180 the year before became #210 and #176.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Heidi and Lena changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #437 and #294.
- Longest-running competitions
Heidi and Lena were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #130 and #288.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Lena in 25.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #2 in 1965, Lena #20 in 1969.
The order changed in 2006: Lena moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #153 and #180; by 2006 that had become #210 and #176.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #437, Lena #294.
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1968–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lena in 28.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #74 in 2019, Lena #71 in 2012.
The order changed in 2016: Heidi moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #109 and #78; by 2016 that had become #82 and #101.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #91, Lena #266.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #76 in 2016, Lena #128 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #130, Lena #288.
Northern Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2001–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #48 in 2021, Lena #131 in 2012.
The order changed in 2005: Heidi moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #293 and #293; by 2005 that had become #278 and #318.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #65, Lena #288.
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 | Lena |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A short form of names ending in '-lena', such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena — widely used independently. |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid | Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ | /ˈleː.na/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (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 Lena is recorded with a Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions origin.
- Heidi and Lena both have 2 syllables.
- Heidi's recorded meaning differs from Lena'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 #130 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Lena
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #346 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: #20 among girls in Norway, in 1969 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #288 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls