Namewise

Alexandra vs Dervla

Alexandra and Dervlacompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2012, Alexandra was ranked #102 and Dervla #383 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2017, Alexandra was ranked #111 and Dervla #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2016, Alexandra was ranked #113 and Dervla #5785 among girls in England and Wales.

Alexandra and Dervla over time

Alexandra and Dervla appear together in 3 published lists, across 74 years of shared records. Alexandra held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dervla in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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

    Alexandra and Dervla changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1966 and 2017, ending at #111 and #651.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 49 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Alexandra rose about as far as Dervla fell — from #288 and #380 in 1966 to #111 and #651 in 2017.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Alexandra and Dervla were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 49 years, from 1966 to 2017, ending at #111 and #651.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alexandra #38 in 1996, Dervla #1666 in 1997.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls49 shared years, 19662017

    Alexandra held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Dervla in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Alexandra #67 in 1998, Dervla #235 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Alexandra #111, Dervla #651.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 19972012

    Alexandra held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Dervla in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexandra #45 in 1997, Dervla #161 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2012: Alexandra #102, Dervla #383.

  • England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 19962016

    Alexandra held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Dervla in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexandra #38 in 1996, Dervla #1666 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2016: Alexandra #113, Dervla #5785.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Alexandra, Dervla
FieldAlexandraDervla
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables42
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #651 (2017)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)70/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Alexandra has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Dervla.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Alexandra

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #400 among girls in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1969–2015

    Highest recorded position: #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1969–2015).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #212 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Dervla

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1966

    First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1997–2012

    Highest recorded position: #161 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2012).

    Northern Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2017

    Most recently recorded at #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls