Joan vs Pauline
Joan and Paulinecompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1956, Joan was ranked #91 and Pauline #33 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1956, Joan was ranked #89 and Pauline #74 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 1993, Joan was ranked #644 and Pauline #462 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Joan was ranked #629 and Pauline #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Joan was ranked #2006 and Pauline #4201 among girls in England and Wales.
Joan and Pauline over time
Joan and Pauline appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Pauline held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Joan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Joan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Pauline 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
Joan and Pauline changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #2006 and #4201.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Joan and Pauline averaged 46.2 places apart, ending at #629 and #896.
- Longest-running competitions
Joan and Pauline were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 43 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #629 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Joan #1287 in 1997, Pauline #1076 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls43 shared years, 1964–2018
Joan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Pauline in 27.
Highest recorded here: Joan #31 in 1964, Pauline #12 in 1964.
The order changed in 2018: Joan moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #937 and #695; by 2018 that had become #629 and #896.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Joan #629, Pauline #896.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2025
Joan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Pauline in 8.
Highest recorded here: Joan #1287 in 1997, Pauline #1076 in 1998.
The order changed in 2011: Joan moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #3533 and #2589; by 2011 that had become #1665 and #4764.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joan #2006, Pauline #4201.
Norway · Girls10 shared years, 1946–1993
Joan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Pauline in 7.
Highest recorded here: Joan #351 in 1946, Pauline #396 in 1946.
The order changed in 1984: Pauline moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #494 and #645; by 1984 that had become #654 and #571.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Joan #644, Pauline #462.
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 | Joan | Pauline |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2006 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joan has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Pauline.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Joan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #351 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2006 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Pauline
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #396 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4201 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls