Marija vs Rachel
Marija and Rachelcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Marija was ranked #883 and Rachel #121 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Marija was ranked #424 and Rachel #138 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Marija was ranked #5891 and Rachel #377 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Marija was ranked #504 and Rachel #472 among girls in Norway.
Marija and Rachel over time
Marija and Rachel appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Rachel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Marija in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Rachel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Marija 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
Marija and Rachel changed places 12 times in Norway · Girls between 1951 and 2024, ending at #504 and #472.
- Longest-running competitions
Marija and Rachel were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 40 years, from 1951 to 2024, ending at #504 and #472.
List by list
Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1951–2024
Marija held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Rachel in 27.
Highest recorded here: Marija #243 in 1984, Rachel #214 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marija #504, Rachel #472.
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 2000–2024
Marija held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rachel in 20.
Highest recorded here: Marija #2176 in 2013, Rachel #36 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marija #5891, Rachel #377.
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 | Marija | Rachel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #504 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rachel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel); Marija does not have one recorded yet.
- Marija has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rachel.
- A meaning is recorded for Rachel; Marija doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Marija
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #404 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1951–2024
Highest recorded position: #243 among girls in Norway, in 1984 (recorded 1951–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Rachel
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #394 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls