Nicola vs Saba
Nicola and Sabacompared 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 2025, Nicola was ranked #4201 and Saba #1639 among girls in England and Wales.
Nicola and Saba over time
Nicola and Saba appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Nicola held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Saba 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.
Nicola reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Saba 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Nicola and Saba were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #4201 and #1639.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Nicola held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Saba in 3.
Highest recorded here: Nicola #87 in 1996, Saba #508 in 2002.
The order changed in 2023: Saba moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #1282 and #2058; by 2023 that had become #2689 and #1575.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nicola #4201, Saba #1639.
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 | Saba |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1639 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nicola has a recorded origin (Greek, feminine form); Saba does not have one recorded yet.
- Nicola has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Saba.
- A meaning is recorded for Nicola; Saba doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Saba
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #539 among girls in Norway in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2003
Highest recorded position: #233 among girls in Norway, in 1984 (recorded 1966–2003).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1639 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls