Lena vs Nina
Lena and Ninacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lena was ranked #288 and Nina #63 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lena was ranked #207 and Nina #97 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lena was ranked #266 and Nina #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Lena was ranked #288 and Nina #157 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lena was ranked #294 and Nina #195 among girls in Norway.
Lena and Nina over time
Lena and Nina appear together in 4 published lists, across 185 years of shared records. Nina held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Lena 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.
Lena reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Nina 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 2016, Nina moved ahead of Lena in Northern Ireland · Girls — #144 and #155 the year before became #159 and #159.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lena and Nina changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #294 and #195.
- Longest-running competitions
Lena and Nina were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #288 and #157.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Lena held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Nina in 67.
Highest recorded here: Lena #20 in 1969, Nina #3 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lena #294, Nina #195.
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1967–2025
Lena held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Nina in 22.
Highest recorded here: Lena #71 in 2012, Nina #83 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lena #266, Nina #112.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Lena held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Nina in 22.
Highest recorded here: Lena #128 in 2013, Nina #137 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lena #288, Nina #157.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2001–2024
Lena held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Nina in 11.
Highest recorded here: Lena #131 in 2012, Nina #63 in 2024.
The order changed in 2016: Nina moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #144 and #155; by 2016 that had become #159 and #159.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lena #288, Nina #63.
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 | Lena | Nina |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of names ending in '-lena', such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena — widely used independently. | A short form of names ending in '-nina', such as Antonina or Giannina; imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions | Various (Russian/Italian short-form tradition) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈleː.na/ | /ˈnʲi.nə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lena is recorded with a Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions origin, while Nina is recorded with a Various (Russian/Italian short-form tradition) origin.
- Lena and Nina both have 2 syllables.
- Lena's recorded meaning differs from Nina's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Lena
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #346 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Norway, in 1969 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #288 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Nina
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #132 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1964 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #157 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls