Nessa vs Sylvia
Nessa and Sylviacompared 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 2024, Nessa was ranked #307 and Sylvia #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Nessa was ranked #3695 and Sylvia #625 among girls in England and Wales.
Nessa and Sylvia over time
Nessa and Sylvia appear together in 2 published lists, across 65 years of shared records. Sylvia held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nessa 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.
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
Nessa and Sylvia changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #307 and #898.
- Longest-running competitions
Nessa and Sylvia were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 53 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #307 and #898.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1964–2024
Nessa held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sylvia in 26.
Highest recorded here: Nessa #127 in 1975, Sylvia #111 in 1972.
The order changed in 1996: Nessa moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #283 and #283; by 1996 that had become #393 and #429.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nessa #307, Sylvia #898.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2007–2024
Nessa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sylvia in 12.
Highest recorded here: Nessa #2163 in 2020, Sylvia #461 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nessa #3695, Sylvia #625.
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 | Nessa | Sylvia |
|---|---|---|
| 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-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #239 (2025) | Norway · Girls #529 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nessa and Sylvia both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Sylvia
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #194 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #111 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #529 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls