Paula vs Rikke
Paula and Rikkecompared 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, Paula was ranked #521 and Rikke #177 among girls in Norway.
Paula and Rikke over time
Paula and Rikke appear together in 1 published list, across 68 years of shared records. Rikke held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Paula in 0.
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.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Rikke 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Paula and Rikke changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #521 and #177.
- Longest-running competitions
Paula and Rikke were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 68 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #521 and #177.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Paula #251 in 1996, Rikke #57 in 1998.
List by list
Norway · Girls68 shared years, 1945–2025
Paula held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Rikke in 61.
Highest recorded here: Paula #251 in 1996, Rikke #57 in 1998.
The order changed in 1968: Rikke moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #295 and #401; by 1968 that had become #565 and #336.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Paula #521, Rikke #177.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Paula
Pairs where Paula shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Nora vs Paula
In 1964 they stood at #30 and #20 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #76 and #718.
Nora · Paula · 61 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Paula vs Ellen
In 1964 they stood at #20 and #27 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #718 and #166.
Paula · Ellen · 61 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Deirdre vs Paula
In 1964 they stood at #14 and #20 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2019 they were #871 and #421.
Deirdre · Paula · 51 shared years, 1964–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
- Paula vs Kathleen
In 1964 they stood at #20 and #23 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #718 and #352.
Paula · Kathleen · 61 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Paula | Rikke |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) | Norway · Girls #177 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paula and Rikke both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
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
Rikke
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #364 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: #57 among girls in Norway, in 1998 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #177 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls