Imelda vs Janet
Imelda and Janetcompared 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 1998, Imelda was ranked #498 and Janet #345 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Imelda was ranked #2115 and Janet #3318 among girls in England and Wales.
Imelda and Janet over time
Imelda and Janet appear together in 2 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Janet held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Imelda in 0.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Imelda and Janet changed places 11 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 1998, ending at #498 and #345.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Imelda and Janet averaged 46.3 places apart, ending at #498 and #345.
- Longest-running competitions
Imelda and Janet were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1964 to 1998, ending at #498 and #345.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Imelda #80 in 1965, Janet #86 in 1966.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1964–1998
Imelda held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Janet in 25.
Highest recorded here: Imelda #80 in 1965, Janet #86 in 1966.
The order changed in 1998: Janet moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #346 and #363; by 1998 that had become #498 and #345.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Imelda #498, Janet #345.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1997–2024
Imelda held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Janet in 9.
Highest recorded here: Imelda #1562 in 2019, Janet #1045 in 1997.
The order changed in 2017: Imelda moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #2547 and #2547; by 2017 that had become #1681 and #3583.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Imelda #2115, Janet #3318.
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 | Imelda | Janet |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Imelda has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Janet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Imelda
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #87 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 recorded1964–1998
Highest recorded position: #80 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1998).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Janet
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #308 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1966
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1966).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls