Ida vs Philomena
Ida and Philomenacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ida was ranked #337 and Philomena #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ida was ranked #885 and Philomena #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ida and Philomena over time
Ida and Philomena appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Philomena reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 Philomena changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #885 and #885.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ida #325 in 1965, Philomena #72 in 1964.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Ida held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Philomena in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ida #257 in 2021, Philomena #1658 in 2002.
The order changed in 2001: Ida moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2167 and #2167; by 2001 that had become #1728 and #2023.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ida #337, Philomena #4843.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1964–2025
Ida held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Philomena in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ida #325 in 1965, Philomena #72 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ida #885, Philomena #885.
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 | Philomena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #37 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ida has a recorded origin (Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition); Philomena does not have one recorded yet.
- Ida has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Philomena.
- A meaning is recorded for Ida; Philomena doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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 #37 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Philomena
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #72 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #72 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls