Sylvia vs Ursula
Sylvia and Ursulacompared 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, Sylvia was ranked #625 and Ursula #2574 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Sylvia was ranked #677 and Ursula #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Sylvia and Ursula over time
Sylvia and Ursula appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Sylvia held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ursula 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.
Ursula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Sylvia 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
Sylvia and Ursula changed places 8 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #625 and #2574.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Sylvia and Ursula averaged 49.7 places apart, ending at #677 and #907.
- Longest-running competitions
Sylvia and Ursula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 38 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #677 and #907.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls38 shared years, 1964–2012
Sylvia held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ursula in 10.
Highest recorded here: Sylvia #111 in 1972, Ursula #98 in 1964.
The order changed in 2010: Sylvia moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #862 and #862; by 2010 that had become #593 and #910.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Sylvia #677, Ursula #907.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sylvia held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Ursula in 4.
Highest recorded here: Sylvia #461 in 2023, Ursula #983 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sylvia #625, Ursula #2574.
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 | Sylvia | Ursula |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #529 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2574 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sylvia has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Ursula.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Sylvia
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #194 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #111 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #529 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Ursula
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #98 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #98 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2574 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls