Majella vs Una
Majella and Unacompared 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 2001, Majella was ranked #343 and Una #165 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2009, Majella was ranked #893 and Una #263 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1999, Majella was ranked #3900 and Una #2444 among girls in England and Wales.
Majella and Una over time
Majella and Una appear together in 1 published list, across 36 years of shared records. Una held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Majella in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Una reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Majella 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Majella and Una changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2009, ending at #893 and #263.
- Longest-running competitions
Majella and Una were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1964 to 2009, ending at #893 and #263.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Majella #78 in 1967, Una #74 in 1966.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #95 and #87 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2009 they were #893 and #263.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1964–2009
Majella held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Una in 32.
Highest recorded here: Majella #78 in 1967, Una #74 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Majella #893, Una #263.
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 | Majella | Una |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Irish Úna or Scottish Ùna; also connects to the Latin feminine 'una' of 'unus' ('one'). Gained literary prominence through Edmund Spenser's 1590 poem The Faerie Queene. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish/Scottish Gaelic, with a possible independent Latin connection |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈuː.nə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Úna, Ùna, Oona, Oonagh |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #893 (2009) | Norway · Girls #218 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Una has a recorded origin (Irish/Scottish Gaelic, with a possible independent Latin connection); Majella does not have one recorded yet.
- Majella has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Una.
- A meaning is recorded for Una; Majella doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Majella a "medium" Data Confidence level and Una a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Majella
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #95 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 recorded1964–2009
Highest recorded position: #78 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1964–2009).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2009
Most recently recorded at #893 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2009.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Una
Popularity journey
First recorded1961
First recorded at #508 among girls in Norway in 1961 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #74 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #218 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls