Lois vs Shona
Lois and Shonacompared 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 1957, Lois was ranked #91 and Shona #70 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Lois was ranked #213 and Shona #424 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Lois was ranked #460 and Shona #5927 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lois was ranked #718 and Shona #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Lois and Shona over time
Lois and Shona appear together in 3 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Lois held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shona 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.
Shona reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Lois 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 2010, Lois moved ahead of Shona in Northern Ireland · Girls — #201 and #174 the year before became #137 and #366.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lois and Shona changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2019, ending at #213 and #424.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2025
Lois held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lois #109 in 2008, Shona #211 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lois #460, Shona #5927.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1997–2019
Lois held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Shona in 3.
Highest recorded here: Lois #99 in 2005, Shona #151 in 2000.
The order changed in 2010: Lois moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #201 and #174; by 2010 that had become #137 and #366.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Lois #213, Shona #424.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1994–2025
Lois held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Shona in 13.
Highest recorded here: Lois #474 in 2018, Shona #123 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lois #718, Shona #718.
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 | Lois | Shona |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A Scottish feminine name that is an Anglicised form of Seonag or Seonaid — both part of the Scottish Gaelic Joanna/Joan name family, traditionally 'God is gracious'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic, via Joanna/Joan |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #460 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Shona has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic, via Joanna/Joan); Lois does not have one recorded yet.
- Lois has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Shona.
- A meaning is recorded for Shona; Lois doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Lois
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #82 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #460 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Shona
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #79 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1974
Highest recorded position: #63 among girls in New Zealand, in 1959 (recorded 1954–1974).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls