Laura vs Sinead
Laura and Sineadcompared 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 1990, Laura was ranked #11 and Sinead #96 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Laura was ranked #91 and Sinead #905 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Laura was ranked #237 and Sinead #391 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Laura was ranked #303 and Sinead #3333 among girls in England and Wales.
Laura and Sinead over time
Laura and Sinead appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Laura held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sinead 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.
Laura reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Sinead 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1983, Laura moved ahead of Sinead in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #11 and #9 the year before became #3 and #8.
- Longest-running competitions
Laura and Sinead were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #303 and #3333.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Laura #13 in 1997, Sinead #54 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2022
Laura held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Sinead in 19.
Highest recorded here: Laura #2 in 1985, Sinead #2 in 1975.
The order changed in 1983: Laura moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #11 and #9; by 1983 that had become #3 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Laura #91, Sinead #905.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Laura held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sinead in 0.
Highest recorded here: Laura #17 in 1996, Sinead #154 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Laura #303, Sinead #3333.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2023
Laura held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Sinead in 0.
Highest recorded here: Laura #13 in 1997, Sinead #54 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Laura #237, Sinead #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 | Laura | Sinead |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Latin 'laurus' meaning 'laurel' — laurel wreaths honoured victors in ancient Rome. Also the subject of 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch's poems. | Irish form of Jeannette/Janet; the underlying chain traces to the Hebrew name Yochanan, commonly interpreted as 'God is gracious'. |
| Origin | Latin | Irish, via Anglo-Norman French Jeannette |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɔɹ.ə/ | /ˈʃɪnʲeːdˠ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3333 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Laura is recorded with a Latin origin, while Sinead is recorded with a Irish, via Anglo-Norman French Jeannette origin.
- Laura and Sinead both have 2 syllables.
- Laura's recorded meaning differs from Sinead's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Laura
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #313 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #303 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sinead
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #109 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2022
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3333 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls