Ida vs Selene
Ida and Selenecompared 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 Selene #1262 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1977, Ida was ranked #518 and Selene #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ida and Selene over time
Ida and Selene appear together in 1 published list, across 25 years of shared records. Ida held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Selene 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.
Ida reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Selene 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls25 shared years, 1996–2024
Ida held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Selene in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ida #257 in 2021, Selene #1262 in 2024.
The order changed in 1997: Ida moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #3126 and #2683; by 1997 that had become #2738 and #3824.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ida #337, Selene #1262.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Ida
Pairs where Ida shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Ida vs Anna
Ida and Anna were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #37 and #23.
Ida · Anna · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
- Ida vs Astrid
Ida and Astrid were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #37 and #9.
Ida · Astrid · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
- Ida vs Elin
Ida and Elin were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #37 and #263.
Ida · Elin · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
- Ida vs Elisabeth
Ida and Elisabeth were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #37 and #171.
Ida · Elisabeth · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
Side by side
| Field | Ida | Selene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #1262 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Selene does not have one recorded yet.
- Ida has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Selene.
- A meaning is recorded for Ida; Selene 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
Selene
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1977–1979
Highest recorded position: #428 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1978 (recorded 1977–1979).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1262 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls