Moira vs Rhona
Moira and Rhonacompared 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 2016, Moira was ranked #868 and Rhona #661 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Moira was ranked #2942 and Rhona #3961 among girls in England and Wales.
Moira and Rhona over time
Moira and Rhona appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Rhona held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Moira in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Moira and Rhona changed places 13 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2016, ending at #868 and #661.
- Longest-running competitions
Moira and Rhona were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 42 years, from 1964 to 2016, ending at #868 and #661.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Moira #2738 in 1997, Rhona #869 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls42 shared years, 1964–2016
Moira held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Rhona in 25.
Highest recorded here: Moira #209 in 1971, Rhona #175 in 1972.
The order changed in 2010: Rhona moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #641 and #742; by 2010 that had become #910 and #910.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Moira #868, Rhona #661.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2021
Moira held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Rhona in 16.
Highest recorded here: Moira #2738 in 1997, Rhona #869 in 1996.
The order changed in 2020: Moira moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #4686 and #3151; by 2020 that had become #4535 and #5493.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Moira #2942, Rhona #3961.
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 | Moira | Rhona |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #476 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Moira and Rhona both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Moira
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #215 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: #209 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Rhona
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #257 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #175 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2023.
Republic of Ireland · Girls