Nicola vs Rayyan
Nicola and Rayyancompared 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 · Boys
In 2025, Nicola was ranked #5137 and Rayyan #195 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Nicola was ranked #4201 and Rayyan #3705 among girls in England and Wales.
Nicola and Rayyan over time
Nicola and Rayyan appear together in 2 published lists, across 36 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.
Nicola reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Rayyan 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
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2025
Nicola held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Rayyan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Nicola #181 in 2001, Rayyan #2203 in 2014.
The order changed in 2025: Rayyan moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #2253 and #5891; by 2025 that had become #4201 and #3705.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nicola #4201, Rayyan #3705.
England and Wales · Boys13 shared years, 1996–2025
Nicola held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rayyan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Nicola #2863 in 1996, Rayyan #195 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nicola #5137, Rayyan #195.
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 | Nicola | Rayyan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | The feminine form of Nicholas, from the Greek elements 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek, feminine form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnɪk.ə.lə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #195 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nicola has a recorded origin (Greek, feminine form); Rayyan does not have one recorded yet.
- Nicola has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Rayyan.
- A meaning is recorded for Nicola; Rayyan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Nicola
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #97 among girls in New Zealand in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1957–1996
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1957–1996).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4201 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Rayyan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2863 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #195 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3705 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls