Paula vs Sumaya
Paula and Sumayacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Paula was ranked #319 and Sumaya #758 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Paula was ranked #507 and Sumaya #408 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Paula was ranked #1491 and Sumaya #1160 among girls in England and Wales.
Paula and Sumaya over time
Paula and Sumaya appear together in 2 published lists, across 57 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.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Sumaya 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 Sumaya changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1491 and #1160.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Paula held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sumaya in 23.
Highest recorded here: Paula #549 in 1996, Sumaya #385 in 2007.
The order changed in 2022: Sumaya moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #957 and #1069; by 2022 that had become #1685 and #876.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paula #1491, Sumaya #1160.
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1992–2024
Paula held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Sumaya in 11.
Highest recorded here: Paula #264 in 1998, Sumaya #291 in 2009.
The order changed in 2024: Sumaya moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #394 and #427; by 2024 that had become #507 and #408.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paula #507, Sumaya #408.
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 | Paula | Sumaya |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) | Norway · Girls #408 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paula and Sumaya both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, 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
Sumaya
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #678 among girls in Norway in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1992–2024
Highest recorded position: #291 among girls in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 1992–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1160 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls