Namewise

Maria vs Thea

Maria and Theacompared 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 2016, Maria was ranked #78 and Thea #49 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Maria was ranked #62 and Thea #50 among girls in Norway.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Maria was ranked #120 and Thea #65 among girls in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Maria was ranked #88 and Thea #66 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Maria was ranked #74 and Thea #207 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Maria was ranked #97 and Thea #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Maria and Thea over time

Maria and Thea appear together in 4 published lists, across 143 years of shared records. Maria held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Thea in 0.

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.

Maria reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Thea 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 2015, Thea moved ahead of Maria in England and Wales · Girls — #73 and #79 the year before became #73 and #58.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Maria and Thea changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1950 and 2025, ending at #62 and #50.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Maria and Thea were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #88 and #66.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Maria #66 in 2018, Thea #46 in 2019.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls63 shared years, 1950–2025

    Maria held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Thea in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Maria #3 in 1982, Thea #1 in 2006.

    The order changed in 2005: Thea moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #5 and #6; by 2005 that had become #7 and #2.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Maria #62, Thea #50.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1993–2025

    Maria held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Thea in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Maria #49 in 2008, Thea #136 in 2021.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Maria #74, Thea #207.

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

    Maria held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Thea in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Maria #66 in 2018, Thea #46 in 2019.

    The order changed in 2015: Thea moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #73 and #79; by 2015 that had become #73 and #58.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Maria #88, Thea #66.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2004–2024

    Maria held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Thea in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Maria #49 in 2009, Thea #40 in 2019.

    The order changed in 2016: Thea moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #79 and #123; by 2016 that had become #82 and #42.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Maria #97, Thea #75.

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 Maria

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

Other comparisons involving Thea

Pairs where Thea 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 Norway lists

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

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Maria, Thea
FieldMariaThea
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningThe Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary).A short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other similar-sounding Greek-rooted names.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via Latin transmissionGreek (via Germanic/Scandinavian transmission)
Pronunciation/mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ//ˈteː.a/
Syllables21
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 #62 (2025)Norway · Girls #50 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Maria is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission origin, while Thea is recorded with a Greek (via Germanic/Scandinavian transmission) origin.
  • Maria has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Thea.
  • Maria's recorded meaning differs from Thea'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

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 #88 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Thea

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1950

    First recorded at #380 among girls in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1950–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1950–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #66 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls