Lara vs Vanessa
Lara and Vanessacompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2001, Lara was ranked #41 and Vanessa #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Lara was ranked #51 and Vanessa #391 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Lara was ranked #98 and Vanessa #719 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lara was ranked #102 and Vanessa #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lara was ranked #131 and Vanessa #351 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lara was ranked #144 and Vanessa #187 among girls in Norway.
Lara and Vanessa over time
Lara and Vanessa appear together in 4 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Vanessa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Lara 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Lara moved ahead of Vanessa in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #124 and #98 the year before became #102 and #126.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lara and Vanessa changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1970 and 2025, ending at #144 and #187.
- Mirrored each other
Over 58 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lara rose about as far as Vanessa fell — from #401 and #189 in 1968 to #102 and #413 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Lara and Vanessa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #98 and #719.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1968–2025
Lara held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Vanessa in 32.
Highest recorded here: Lara #80 in 2002, Vanessa #97 in 1993.
The order changed in 2010: Lara moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #124 and #98; by 2010 that had become #102 and #126.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lara #102, Vanessa #413.
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1970–2025
Lara held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Vanessa in 33.
Highest recorded here: Lara #129 in 2022, Vanessa #136 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lara #144, Vanessa #187.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Lara held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Vanessa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lara #85 in 2022, Vanessa #202 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lara #98, Vanessa #719.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2023
Lara held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Vanessa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lara #51 in 2023, Vanessa #163 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lara #51, Vanessa #391.
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 | Lara | Vanessa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #98 (2025) | Norway · Girls #187 (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
- Lara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Vanessa.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Lara
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #553 among girls in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1999–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #98 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Vanessa
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #99 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1967–1995
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1973 (recorded 1967–1995).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #719 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls