Nora vs Susan
Nora and Susancompared 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 2003, Nora was ranked #6 and Susan #570 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Nora was ranked #86 and Susan #2253 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Nora was ranked #95 and Susan #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Nora was ranked #190 and Susan #432 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Nora and Susan over time
Nora and Susan appear together in 3 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Nora held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Susan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Susan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 Susan changed places 12 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2003, ending at #6 and #570.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in Norway · Girls, Nora rose about as far as Susan fell — from #186 and #239 in 1946 to #6 and #570 in 2003.
- Longest-running competitions
Nora and Susan were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 52 years, from 1946 to 2003, ending at #6 and #570.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #30 and #22 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2023 they were #95 and #856.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1964–2023
Nora held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Susan in 40.
Highest recorded here: Nora #22 in 1965, Susan #14 in 1968.
The order changed in 2004: Nora moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #200 and #174; by 2004 that had become #222 and #272.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Nora #95, Susan #856.
Norway · Girls52 shared years, 1946–2003
Nora held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Susan in 11.
Highest recorded here: Nora #6 in 2003, Susan #172 in 1961.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2003: Nora #6, Susan #570.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Nora held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Susan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Nora #86 in 2024, Susan #397 in 1996.
The order changed in 2009: Nora moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #995 and #878; by 2009 that had become #771 and #865.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nora #86, Susan #2253.
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 | Susan |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #2253 (2024) |
| 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); Susan does not have one recorded yet.
- Nora and Susan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Nora; Susan 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
Susan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #239 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1985
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1985).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2253 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls