Namewise

Lisa vs Maria

Lisa and Mariacompared 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 1985, Lisa was ranked #10 and Maria #95 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #174 and Maria #62 among girls in Norway.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #443 and Maria #74 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1997, Lisa was ranked #85 and Maria #93 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2019, Lisa was ranked #336 and Maria #89 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Lisa was ranked #795 and Maria #91 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Lisa was ranked #790 and Maria #120 among girls in Scotland.

Lisa and Maria over time

Lisa and Maria appear together in 6 published lists, across 249 years of shared records. Maria held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lisa in 2.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Maria reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Lisa in 2. 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 1962, Lisa moved ahead of Maria in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #39 and #29 the year before became #25 and #28.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lisa and Maria averaged 33.0 places apart, ending at #10 and #95.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Lisa and Maria were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 35 years, from 1962 to 1997, ending at #85 and #93.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Lisa #2 in 1968, Maria #13 in 1966.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1996 they stood at #105 and #96 in England and Wales · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2024 they were #795 and #91.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maria in 80.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #37 in 1994, Maria #3 in 1982.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #174, Maria #62.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Maria in 32.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #3 in 1984, Maria #23 in 1967.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #443, Maria #74.

  • New Zealand · Girls35 shared years, 1962–1997

    Lisa held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Maria in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #1 in 1968, Maria #21 in 1967.

    The order changed in 1966: Lisa moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #31 and #28; by 1966 that had become #7 and #24.

    Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #85, Maria #93.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maria in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #105 in 1996, Maria #66 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Lisa #795, Maria #91.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls26 shared years, 1959–1985

    Lisa held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maria in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #2 in 1968, Maria #13 in 1966.

    The order changed in 1962: Lisa moved ahead. In 1961 they stood at #39 and #29; by 1962 that had become #25 and #28.

    Most recent shared year, 1985: Lisa #10, Maria #95.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2019

    Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maria in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #63 in 1997, Maria #49 in 2009.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Lisa #336, Maria #89.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Lisa

Pairs where Lisa shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Maria

Pairs where Maria shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1990s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1990 and 1999.

The 1990s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Lisa, Maria
FieldLisaMaria
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA short form of Elizabeth, often used independently — notably the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.The Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary).
OriginHebrew, short form of ElizabethBiblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission
Pronunciation/ˈliː.sə//mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #174 (2025)Norway · Girls #62 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Lisa is recorded with a Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth origin, while Maria is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission origin.
  • Lisa and Maria both have 2 syllables.
  • Lisa's recorded meaning differs from Maria's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Lisa

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1962–1997

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1962–1997).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #174 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Maria

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #126 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #62 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls