Ilona vs Julia
Ilona and Juliacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Ilona was ranked #907 and Julia #34 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1999, Ilona was ranked #514 and Julia #80 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ilona was ranked #4843 and Julia #223 among girls in England and Wales.
Ilona and Julia over time
Ilona and Julia appear together in 2 published lists, across 61 years of shared records. Julia held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ilona 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.
Ilona reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Julia 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 33 shared years in Norway · Girls, Julia rose about as far as Ilona fell — from #321 and #399 in 1964 to #514 and #80 in 1999.
- Longest-running competitions
Ilona and Julia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 33 years, from 1964 to 1999, ending at #514 and #80.
List by list
Norway · Girls33 shared years, 1964–1999
Ilona held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Julia in 31.
Highest recorded here: Ilona #277 in 1967, Julia #80 in 1999.
The order changed in 1968: Julia moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #277 and #326; by 1968 that had become #496 and #327.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Ilona #514, Julia #80.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Ilona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Julia in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ilona #1031 in 1996, Julia #77 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ilona #4843, Julia #223.
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 | Ilona | Julia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The feminine form of the Roman family name Julius — borne by Julia Augusta and Julia the Elder, and by an early Christian martyr and patron saint of Corsica. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | The feminine counterpart within the Roman gens Julia, the family name Julius belonged to |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjʉː.lɪ.a/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) | Norway · Girls #85 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Julia has a recorded origin (The feminine counterpart within the Roman gens Julia, the family name Julius belonged to); Ilona does not have one recorded yet.
- Ilona has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Julia.
- A meaning is recorded for Julia; Ilona doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ilona
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #413 among girls in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1999
Highest recorded position: #277 among girls in Norway, in 1967 (recorded 1952–1999).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Julia
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #345 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1970–2001
Highest recorded position: #26 among girls in New Zealand, in 1983 (recorded 1970–2001).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #85 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls