Nora vs Paula
Nora and Paulacompared 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 2025, Nora was ranked #3 and Paula #521 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Nora was ranked #44 and Paula #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Nora was ranked #76 and Paula #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Nora was ranked #86 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Nora and Paula over time
Nora and Paula appear together in 4 published lists, across 178 years of shared records. Nora held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Paula in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Nora in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Nora and Paula changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #86 and #1491.
- Mirrored each other
Over 80 shared years in Norway · Girls, Nora rose about as far as Paula fell — from #219 and #264 in 1945 to #3 and #521 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Nora and Paula were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #3 and #521.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #30 and #20 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #76 and #718.
List by list
Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025
Nora held the stronger position in 78 of those years, Paula in 2.
Highest recorded here: Nora #1 in 2014, Paula #214 in 1949.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nora #3, Paula #521.
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Nora held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Paula in 32.
Highest recorded here: Nora #22 in 1965, Paula #15 in 1979.
The order changed in 2002: Nora moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #369 and #302; by 2002 that had become #238 and #312.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nora #76, Paula #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Nora held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Paula in 8.
Highest recorded here: Nora #86 in 2024, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 2008: Nora moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #963 and #755; by 2008 that had become #995 and #1034.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nora #86, Paula #1491.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2024
Nora held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Paula in 1.
Highest recorded here: Nora #44 in 2024, Paula #172 in 1997.
The order changed in 2014: Nora moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #444 and #444; by 2014 that had become #365 and #439.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nora #44, Paula #407.
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 | Nora | Paula |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of the names Honora (linked to Latin 'honor') or Eleanor — not an independently rooted name; Behind the Name does not specify which is the 'true' source for any given historical bearer. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnɔrə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #3 (2025) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nora has a recorded origin (English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor); Paula does not have one recorded yet.
- Nora and Paula both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Nora; Paula doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Nora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Paula
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #264 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1984
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #521 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls