Marissa vs Paula
Marissa and Paulacompared 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 2011, Marissa was ranked #444 and Paula #444 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Marissa was ranked #896 and Paula #629 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Marissa was ranked #3695 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Marissa and Paula over time
Marissa and Paula appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Marissa 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
Marissa and Paula changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3695 and #1491.
- Longest-running competitions
Marissa and Paula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 31 years, from 1974 to 2018, ending at #896 and #629.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1974–2018
Marissa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paula in 31.
Highest recorded here: Marissa #353 in 1989, Paula #34 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Marissa #896, Paula #629.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Marissa held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Paula in 13.
Highest recorded here: Marissa #467 in 2008, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Paula moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1640 and #2504; by 2024 that had become #3695 and #1491.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marissa #3695, Paula #1491.
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 | Marissa | Paula |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Marissa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Paula.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Marissa
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #428 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2011
Highest recorded position: #294 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 2004–2011).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Paula
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #264 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1984
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #521 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls