Namewise

Lisa vs Nicole

Lisa and Nicolecompared 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 1997, Lisa was ranked #85 and Nicole #23 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1997, Lisa was ranked #100 and Nicole #40 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #174 and Nicole #448 among girls in Norway.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2019, Lisa was ranked #336 and Nicole #200 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #443 and Nicole #381 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #661 and Nicole #412 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Lisa was ranked #790 and Nicole #638 among girls in Scotland.

Lisa and Nicole over time

Lisa and Nicole appear together in 6 published lists, across 229 years of shared records. Nicole held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lisa in 2.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Lisa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Nicole 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 1980, Nicole moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #7 and #8 the year before became #7 and #6.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 34 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lisa and Nicole averaged 17.7 places apart, ending at #100 and #40.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Lisa and Nicole were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #661 and #412.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Lisa #105 in 1996, Nicole #36 in 1996.

List by list

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #3 in 1984, Nicole #15 in 1996.

    The order changed in 1994: Nicole moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #13 and #20; by 1994 that had become #22 and #18.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #443, Nicole #381.

  • Norway · Girls57 shared years, 1969–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 57 of those years, Nicole in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #37 in 1994, Nicole #205 in 2003.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #174, Nicole #448.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls34 shared years, 1964–1997

    Lisa held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Nicole in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #2 in 1968, Nicole #2 in 1975.

    The order changed in 1980: Nicole moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #7 and #8; by 1980 that had become #7 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #100, Nicole #40.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nicole in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #105 in 1996, Nicole #36 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #661, Nicole #412.

  • New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1969–1997

    Lisa held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Nicole in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #1 in 1969, Nicole #5 in 1987.

    The order changed in 1986: Nicole moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #9 and #31; by 1986 that had become #10 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #85, Nicole #23.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2019

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

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #63 in 1997, Nicole #14 in 1998.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Lisa #336, Nicole #200.

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 Nicole

Pairs where Nicole 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 South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia'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 South Wales, Australia 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, Nicole
FieldLisaNicole
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 French feminine form of Nicholas, from the Greek elements 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people).
OriginHebrew, short form of ElizabethGreek, via French transmission
Pronunciation/ˈliː.sə//nɪ.ˈkoʊl/
Syllables23
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)Republic of Ireland · Girls #381 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10088/100
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 Nicole is recorded with a Greek, via French transmission origin.
  • Lisa has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Nicole.
  • Lisa's recorded meaning differs from Nicole'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 #661 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Nicole

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2002

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2002).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #412 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls