Heidi vs Nina
Heidi and Ninacompared 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 Nina #63 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2022, Heidi was ranked #99 and Nina #77 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #91 and Nina #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #95 and Nina #97 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Heidi was ranked #107 and Nina #160 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Heidi was ranked #437 and Nina #195 among girls in Norway.
Heidi and Nina over time
Heidi and Nina appear together in 4 published lists, across 180 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nina 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, Nina 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 2023, Heidi moved ahead of Nina in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #94 and #88 the year before became #89 and #100.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Heidi and Nina changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #65 and #63.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Girls, Heidi and Nina averaged 40.8 places apart, ending at #437 and #195.
- Longest-running competitions
Heidi and Nina were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #437 and #195.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Heidi #2 in 1965, Nina #3 in 1964.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Nina in 70.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #2 in 1965, Nina #3 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #437, Nina #195.
Republic of Ireland · Girls44 shared years, 1970–2025
Heidi held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Nina in 18.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #74 in 2019, Nina #83 in 2020.
The order changed in 2023: Heidi moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #94 and #88; by 2023 that had become #89 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heidi #91, Nina #112.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nina in 5.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #76 in 2016, Nina #137 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #107, Nina #160.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2024
Heidi held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Nina in 3.
Highest recorded here: Heidi #48 in 2021, Nina #63 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Heidi #65, Nina #63.
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 | Nina |
|---|---|---|
| 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 '-nina', such as Antonina or Giannina; imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid | Various (Russian/Italian short-form tradition) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ | /ˈnʲi.nə/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (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 Nina is recorded with a Various (Russian/Italian short-form tradition) origin.
- Heidi and Nina both have 2 syllables.
- Heidi's recorded meaning differs from Nina's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Nina
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #132 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: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1964 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #195 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls