Isla vs Nora
Isla and Noracompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Nora #72 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Nora #86 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #4 and Nora #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Nora #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Nora #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Nora over time
Isla and Nora appear together in 4 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Nora 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.
Isla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Nora 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Nora were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 43 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #86.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Nora #44 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls43 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Nora #86 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Nora #86.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Nora in 6.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Nora #76 in 2025.
The order changed in 2008: Isla moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #404 and #202; by 2008 that had become #230 and #241.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Nora #76.
Scotland · Girls21 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Nora #72 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Nora #72.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2007–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Nora #44 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Nora #44.
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 | Isla | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | A short form of the names Honora (linked to Latin 'honor') or Eleanor — not an independently rooted name; Behind the Name does not specify which is the 'true' source for any given historical bearer. |
| Origin | Scottish | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈnɔrə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) | Norway · Girls #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Nora is recorded with a English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor origin.
- Isla and Nora both have 2 syllables.
- Isla's recorded meaning differs from Nora's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Nora a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Nora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 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 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls