Maureen vs Nessa
Maureen and Nessacompared 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 2013, Maureen was ranked #747 and Nessa #246 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Maureen was ranked #3695 and Nessa #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Maureen and Nessa over time
Maureen and Nessa appear together in 2 published lists, across 54 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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
Maureen and Nessa were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1964 to 2013, ending at #747 and #246.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1964–2013
Maureen held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Nessa in 13.
Highest recorded here: Maureen #91 in 1964, Nessa #127 in 1975.
The order changed in 1995: Nessa moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #240 and #350; by 1995 that had become #352 and #283.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Maureen #747, Nessa #246.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 2007–2024
Maureen held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Nessa in 4.
Highest recorded here: Maureen #3218 in 2023, Nessa #2328 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maureen #3695, Nessa #3695.
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 | Maureen | Nessa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #239 (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
- Maureen and Nessa both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Maureen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #31 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1962
Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1962).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Nessa
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #127 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #239 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls