Melody vs Paula
Melody 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Melody was ranked #289 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Melody was ranked #407 and Paula #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Melody was ranked #718 and Paula #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Melody and Paula over time
Melody and Paula appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 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 Melody 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
Melody and Paula changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2002 and 2025, ending at #718 and #718.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Melody held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Paula in 2.
Highest recorded here: Melody #236 in 2023, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 1999: Melody moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #758 and #672; by 1999 that had become #548 and #900.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Melody #289, Paula #1491.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2002–2025
Melody held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Paula in 11.
Highest recorded here: Melody #364 in 2023, Paula #257 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melody #718, Paula #718.
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 | Melody | 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, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melody has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Paula.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Melody
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #608 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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