Heidi vs Madeline
Heidi and Madelinecompared 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 Madeline #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2017, Heidi was ranked #86 and Madeline #97 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #91 and Madeline #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #95 and Madeline #333 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2019, Heidi was ranked #99 and Madeline #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #107 and Madeline #305 among girls in England and Wales.
Heidi and Madeline over time
Heidi and Madeline appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Madeline 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.
Madeline reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Heidi 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Heidi and Madeline changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1968 and 2025, ending at #91 and #544.
- Longest-running competitions
Heidi and Madeline were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #91 and #544.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1968–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Madeline in 19.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #74 in 2019, Madeline #181 in 1968.
The order changed in 2005: Heidi moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #490 and #439; by 2005 that had become #263 and #587.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #91, Madeline #544.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Madeline in 10.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #76 in 2016, Madeline #110 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #107, Madeline #305.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 2002–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Madeline in 1.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #57 in 2015, Madeline #226 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #65, Madeline #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 | Madeline |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Heidi has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid); Madeline does not have one recorded yet.
- Heidi has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Madeline.
- A meaning is recorded for Heidi; Madeline doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Madeline
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #140 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1992–2019
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1997 (recorded 1992–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls