Nora vs Selma
Nora and Selmacompared 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 Selma #11 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Nora was ranked #86 and Selma #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Nora was ranked #199 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Nora and Selma over time
Nora and Selma appear together in 2 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Nora held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Selma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Nora and Selma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 67 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #3 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Girls67 shared years, 1945–2025
Nora held the stronger position in 67 of those years, Selma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Nora #1 in 2014, Selma #5 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nora #3, Selma #11.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Nora held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Selma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Nora #86 in 2024, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nora #86, Selma #2000.
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 | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #3 (2025) | Norway · Girls #11 (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); Selma does not have one recorded yet.
- Nora and Selma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Nora; Selma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 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: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls