Nora vs Siobhán
Nora and Siobháncompared 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, Nora was ranked #75 and Siobhán #3705 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Nora was ranked #76 and Siobhán #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Nora was ranked #98 and Siobhán #336 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Nora and Siobhán over time
Nora and Siobhán appear together in 2 published lists, across 87 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.
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 Siobhán were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #75 and #3705.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #30 and #35 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #76 and #885.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1964–2025
Nora held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Siobhán in 46.
Highest recorded here: Nora #22 in 1965, Siobhán #15 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nora #76, Siobhán #885.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Nora held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Siobhán in 13.
Highest recorded here: Nora #75 in 2025, Siobhán #138 in 1996.
The order changed in 2009: Nora moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #995 and #859; by 2009 that had become #771 and #835.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nora #75, Siobhán #3705.
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 | Siobhán |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Shares the meaning of Joan/Jehanne: commonly interpreted as 'God is gracious'. |
| Origin | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnɔrə/ | /ʃɪˈvɔːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Chevonne, Shivaun |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #3 (2025) | Republic of Ireland #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Nora is recorded with a English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor origin, while Siobhán is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Nora has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Siobhán.
- Nora's recorded meaning differs from Siobhán's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Nora a "medium" Data Confidence level and Siobhán a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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 #75 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Siobhán
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #35 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: #15 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3705 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls