Paula vs Tracy
Paula and Tracycompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1976, Paula was ranked #98 and Tracy #51 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Paula was ranked #93 and Tracy #85 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Paula was ranked #319 and Tracy #758 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Paula was ranked #1491 and Tracy #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Paula and Tracy over time
Paula and Tracy appear together in 4 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Tracy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Paula 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 Tracy changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1963 and 1984, ending at #93 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Paula and Tracy averaged 11.7 places apart, ending at #93 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Paula and Tracy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #319 and #758.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Paula #549 in 1996, Tracy #686 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2010
Paula held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Tracy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Paula #15 in 1979, Tracy #54 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Paula #319, Tracy #758.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Paula held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Tracy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Paula #549 in 1996, Tracy #686 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paula #1491, Tracy #4843.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1963–1984
Paula held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Tracy in 15.
Highest recorded here: Paula #15 in 1970, Tracy #11 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Paula #93, Tracy #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls14 shared years, 1963–1976
Paula held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tracy in 14.
Highest recorded here: Paula #62 in 1971, Tracy #21 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1976: Paula #98, Tracy #51.
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 | Tracy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paula and Tracy both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
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
Tracy
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #59 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1961–1985
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1961–1985).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls