Leanne vs Paula
Leanne and Paulacompared 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 1976, Leanne was ranked #29 and Paula #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1982, Leanne was ranked #66 and Paula #85 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Leanne was ranked #366 and Paula #430 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Leanne was ranked #700 and Paula #375 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leanne was ranked #2115 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Leanne and Paula over time
Leanne and Paula appear together in 5 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Leanne held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Paula 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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
Leanne and Paula changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1973 and 2020, ending at #700 and #375.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Leanne and Paula averaged 16.3 places apart, ending at #66 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Leanne and Paula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1973 to 2020, ending at #700 and #375.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Leanne #88 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1973–2020
Leanne held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Paula in 18.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #26 in 1990, Paula #15 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Leanne #700, Paula #375.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leanne held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Paula in 11.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #88 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Paula moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2201 and #2504; by 2024 that had become #2115 and #1491.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leanne #2115, Paula #1491.
New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 1963–1982
Leanne held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Paula in 13.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #22 in 1965, Paula #15 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Leanne #66, Paula #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls14 shared years, 1963–1976
Leanne held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Paula in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #6 in 1968, Paula #62 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1976: Leanne #29, Paula #98.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1997–2010
Leanne held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Paula in 1.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #84 in 1998, Paula #172 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Leanne #366, Paula #430.
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 | Leanne | Paula |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leanne and Paula both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Leanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1957–1986
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1968 (recorded 1957–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Paula
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #264 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1984
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #521 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls