Orlaith vs Phoebe
Orlaith and Phoebecompared 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 2024, Orlaith was ranked #654 and Phoebe #17 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Orlaith was ranked #119 and Phoebe #30 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Orlaith was ranked #138 and Phoebe #46 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Orlaith was ranked #352 and Phoebe #97 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Orlaith and Phoebe over time
Orlaith and Phoebe appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Orlaith reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Phoebe 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2011, Phoebe moved ahead of Orlaith in Northern Ireland · Girls — #77 and #90 the year before became #118 and #82.
- Mirrored each other
Over 39 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Phoebe rose about as far as Orlaith fell — from #197 and #519 in 1985 to #352 and #97 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Orlaith and Phoebe were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 39 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #352 and #97.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 1985–2025
Orlaith held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Phoebe in 10.
Highest recorded here: Orlaith #73 in 2006, Phoebe #78 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Phoebe moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #104 and #119; by 2016 that had become #140 and #133.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Orlaith #352, Phoebe #97.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Orlaith held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Phoebe in 29.
Highest recorded here: Orlaith #475 in 2016, Phoebe #17 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Orlaith #654, Phoebe #17.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Orlaith held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Phoebe in 14.
Highest recorded here: Orlaith #54 in 2008, Phoebe #30 in 2024.
The order changed in 2011: Phoebe moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #77 and #90; by 2011 that had become #118 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Orlaith #119, Phoebe #30.
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 | Orlaith | Phoebe |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #65 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Orlaith and Phoebe both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Orlaith
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #54 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Phoebe
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #519 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls