Loretta vs Mila
Loretta and Milacompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Loretta was ranked #790 and Mila #30 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Loretta was ranked #1302 and Mila #46 among girls in England and Wales.
Loretta and Mila over time
Loretta and Mila appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Mila held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Loretta in 0.
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.
Loretta reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mila 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Loretta #876 in 2022, Mila #35 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Loretta held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Mila in 25.
Highest recorded here: Loretta #876 in 2022, Mila #35 in 2023.
The order changed in 2000: Mila moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #1160 and #2189; by 2000 that had become #2416 and #1313.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Loretta #1302, Mila #46.
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 | Loretta | Mila |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'gracious, dear', from the Slavic element milu. Originally used as a short form of longer names containing that element before becoming an independent given name. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Slavic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmi.ɫa/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #790 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mila has a recorded origin (Slavic); Loretta does not have one recorded yet.
- Loretta has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mila.
- A meaning is recorded for Mila; Loretta doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Loretta
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–1991
Highest recorded position: #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–1991).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1302 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Mila
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #653 among girls in Norway in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls