Mary vs Philippa
Mary and Philippacompared 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 1985, Mary was ranked #83 and Philippa #98 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Mary was ranked #112 and Philippa #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Mary was ranked #195 and Philippa #434 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Mary was ranked #315 and Philippa #541 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Mary was ranked #337 and Philippa #377 among girls in England and Wales.
Mary and Philippa over time
Mary and Philippa appear together in 4 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. Mary held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Philippa in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Mary and Philippa were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #112 and #544.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Mary #118 in 1997, Philippa #150 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1968–2025
Mary held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Philippa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mary #1 in 1968, Philippa #298 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mary #112, Philippa #544.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mary held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Philippa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mary #118 in 1997, Philippa #150 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mary #337, Philippa #377.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1956–1985
Mary held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Philippa in 2.
Highest recorded here: Mary #11 in 1956, Philippa #69 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Mary #83, Philippa #98.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1999–2018
Mary held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Philippa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mary #71 in 2001, Philippa #248 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Mary #195, Philippa #434.
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 | Philippa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mary has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Philippa.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Philippa
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #86 among girls in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1956–1986
Highest recorded position: #69 among girls in New Zealand, in 1978 (recorded 1956–1986).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls