Merete vs Tara
Merete and Taracompared 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 2005, Merete was ranked #514 and Tara #254 among girls in Norway.
Merete and Tara over time
Merete and Tara appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Merete held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Tara in 0.
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.
Merete reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Tara 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1973–2005
Merete held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Tara in 7.
Highest recorded here: Merete #46 in 1973, Tara #237 in 1997.
The order changed in 1999: Tara moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #273 and #275; by 1999 that had become #475 and #259.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Merete #514, Tara #254.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Tara
Pairs where Tara shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Abigail vs Tara
Over 54 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Abigail rose about as far as Tara fell — from #303 and #96 in 1969 to #115 and #166 in 2025.
Abigail · Tara · 54 shared years, 1969–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Saoirse vs Tara
Over 52 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Saoirse rose about as far as Tara fell — from #417 and #67 in 1971 to #17 and #166 in 2025.
Saoirse · Tara · 52 shared years, 1971–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Anna vs Tara
Anna and Tara changed places 12 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1983 and 2007, ending at #59 and #99.
Anna · Tara · 25 shared years, 1983–2007 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
- Grace vs Tara
Grace and Tara changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #4 and #166.
Grace · Tara · 61 shared years, 1964–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
Side by side
| Field | Merete | Tara |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #514 (2005) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Merete has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Tara.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Merete
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #241 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2005
Highest recorded position: #33 among girls in Norway, in 1967 (recorded 1945–2005).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2005
Most recently recorded at #514 among girls in Norway, in 2005.
Norway · Girls
Tara
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 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 recorded1983–2007
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1985 (recorded 1983–2007).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #444 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls