Mary vs Nora
Mary and Noracompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Mary was ranked #518 and Nora #3 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Mary was ranked #134 and Nora #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Mary was ranked #315 and Nora #72 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Mary was ranked #112 and Nora #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Mary was ranked #337 and Nora #86 among girls in England and Wales.
Mary and Nora over time
Mary and Nora appear together in 4 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Mary held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nora in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Nora 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 2018, Nora moved ahead of Mary in Northern Ireland · Girls — #122 and #190 the year before became #195 and #151.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mary and Nora changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #518 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Mary and Nora were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #518 and #3.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Mary #1 in 1964, Nora #22 in 1965.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025
Mary held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Nora in 38.
Highest recorded here: Mary #59 in 1947, Nora #1 in 2016.
The order changed in 1986: Nora moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #183 and #202; by 1986 that had become #178 and #145.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mary #518, Nora #3.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Mary held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Nora in 3.
Highest recorded here: Mary #1 in 1964, Nora #22 in 1965.
The order changed in 2023: Nora moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #87 and #103; by 2023 that had become #130 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mary #112, Nora #76.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mary held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Nora in 8.
Highest recorded here: Mary #118 in 1997, Nora #86 in 2024.
The order changed in 2017: Nora moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #250 and #283; by 2017 that had become #320 and #250.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mary #337, Nora #86.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2024
Mary held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Nora in 6.
Highest recorded here: Mary #53 in 1997, Nora #44 in 2024.
The order changed in 2018: Nora moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #122 and #190; by 2018 that had become #195 and #151.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mary #134, Nora #44.
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 | Mary | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A short form of the names Honora (linked to Latin 'honor') or Eleanor — not an independently rooted name; Behind the Name does not specify which is the 'true' source for any given historical bearer. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈnɔrə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) | Norway · Girls #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nora has a recorded origin (English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor); Mary does not have one recorded yet.
- Mary and Nora both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Nora; Mary doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Mary
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #67 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #518 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Nora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls