Isla vs Penny
Isla and Pennycompared 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 Penny #138 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Penny #193 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Penny #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Penny #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Penny over time
Isla and Penny appear together in 4 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Penny 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.
Penny reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Isla in 1. 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 Penny were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 39 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #193.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Penny #67 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls39 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Penny in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Penny #166 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Penny #193.
Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2002–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Penny in 1.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Penny #82 in 2022.
The order changed in 2007: Isla moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #512 and #443; by 2007 that had become #404 and #549.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Penny #156.
Scotland · Girls17 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Penny in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Penny #138 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Penny #138.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2009–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Penny in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Penny #67 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Penny #134.
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 | Penny |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #156 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla has a recorded origin (Scottish); Penny does not have one recorded yet.
- Isla and Penny both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Isla; Penny doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Penny 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
Penny
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2009–2024
Highest recorded position: #67 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls