Ida vs Joan
Ida and Joancompared 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 1993, Ida was ranked #1 and Joan #644 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ida was ranked #342 and Joan #2006 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ida was ranked #625 and Joan #727 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ida and Joan over time
Ida and Joan appear together in 3 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Ida held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Joan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Joan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Ida 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
Ida and Joan changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2023, ending at #625 and #727.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ida rose about as far as Joan fell — from #203 and #351 in 1946 to #1 and #644 in 1993.
- Longest-running competitions
Ida and Joan were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #342 and #2006.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ida #325 in 1965, Joan #31 in 1964.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ida held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Joan in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ida #257 in 2021, Joan #1287 in 1997.
The order changed in 2001: Ida moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2167 and #1594; by 2001 that had become #1728 and #3262.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ida #342, Joan #2006.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1946–1993
Ida held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Joan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ida #1 in 1988, Joan #325 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Ida #1, Joan #644.
Republic of Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1964–2023
Ida held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Joan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ida #325 in 1965, Joan #31 in 1964.
The order changed in 2022: Ida moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #661 and #586; by 2022 that had become #502 and #905.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ida #625, Joan #727.
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 | Ida | Joan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly traced to a Germanic element possibly meaning 'work' or 'labour'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːdɑ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2006 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ida has a recorded origin (Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition); Joan does not have one recorded yet.
- Ida has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Joan.
- A meaning is recorded for Ida; Joan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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 #342 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Joan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #351 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2006 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls