Janet vs Sylvia
Janet and Sylviacompared 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 2018, Janet was ranked #896 and Sylvia #436 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1991, Janet was ranked #652 and Sylvia #488 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Janet was ranked #3318 and Sylvia #625 among girls in England and Wales.
Janet and Sylvia over time
Janet and Sylvia appear together in 3 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Sylvia held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Janet in 1.
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.
Janet reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Sylvia 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Janet and Sylvia changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3318 and #625.
- Longest-running competitions
Janet and Sylvia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 38 years, from 1947 to 1991, ending at #652 and #488.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1964–2018
Janet held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Sylvia in 6.
Highest recorded here: Janet #86 in 1966, Sylvia #111 in 1972.
The order changed in 2010: Sylvia moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #439 and #559; by 2010 that had become #910 and #593.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Janet #896, Sylvia #436.
Norway · Girls38 shared years, 1947–1991
Janet held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sylvia in 33.
Highest recorded here: Janet #239 in 1958, Sylvia #134 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Janet #652, Sylvia #488.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Janet held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sylvia in 27.
Highest recorded here: Janet #1031 in 1996, Sylvia #461 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Janet #3318, Sylvia #625.
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 | Janet | Sylvia |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) | Norway · Girls #529 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Janet and Sylvia both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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
Sylvia
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #194 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #111 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #529 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls