May vs Vanessa
May and Vanessacompared 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, May was ranked #481 and Vanessa #187 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, May was ranked #424 and Vanessa #263 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, May was ranked #718 and Vanessa #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, May was ranked #610 and Vanessa #533 among girls in England and Wales.
May and Vanessa over time
May and Vanessa appear together in 3 published lists, across 116 years of shared records. Vanessa held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, May in 1.
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.
Vanessa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, May in 1. 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
May and Vanessa changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1970 and 2025, ending at #481 and #187.
- Longest-running competitions
May and Vanessa were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 53 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #481 and #187.
List by list
Norway · Girls53 shared years, 1970–2025
May held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Vanessa in 26.
Highest recorded here: May #43 in 1971, Vanessa #136 in 2019.
The order changed in 2001: Vanessa moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #208 and #261; by 2001 that had become #252 and #245.
Most recent shared year, 2025: May #481, Vanessa #187.
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1967–2025
May held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Vanessa in 30.
Highest recorded here: May #262 in 2023, Vanessa #98 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: May #718, Vanessa #413.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
May held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Vanessa in 28.
Highest recorded here: May #325 in 2007, Vanessa #202 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: May #610, Vanessa #533.
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 | May | Vanessa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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 #481 (2025) | Norway · Girls #187 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- May has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Vanessa.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 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: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Vanessa
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #99 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1967–1995
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1973 (recorded 1967–1995).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #187 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls