Isla vs Willow
Isla and Willowcompared 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 Willow #29 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Isla was ranked #3 and Willow #6 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Willow #21 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #4 and Willow #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Willow #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Willow #58 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Willow over time
Isla and Willow appear together in 6 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Willow in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Willow reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Isla and Willow averaged 48.9 places apart, ending at #13 and #58.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Willow were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 37 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #21.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Willow #10 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls37 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Willow in 2.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Willow #9 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Willow #21.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2005–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Willow in 1.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Willow #29 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Willow #58.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2007–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Willow #24 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Willow #44.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 2009–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Willow #10 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #4, Willow #23.
Scotland · Girls15 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Willow #29 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Willow #29.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Isla held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2020, Willow #5 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isla #3, Willow #6.
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 | Willow |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name. |
| Origin | Scottish | English, a modern nature name from the willow tree |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈwɪl.oʊ/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Willow is recorded with a English, a modern nature name from the willow tree origin.
- Isla and Willow both have 2 syllables.
- Isla's recorded meaning differs from Willow's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Willow 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
Willow
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls