Ashling vs Deborah
Ashling and Deborahcompared 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 2003, Ashling was ranked #331 and Deborah #331 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Ashling was ranked #734 and Deborah #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Ashling was ranked #5581 and Deborah #801 among girls in England and Wales.
Ashling and Deborah over time
Ashling and Deborah appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ashling 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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ashling 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
Ashling and Deborah changed places 11 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2017, ending at #734 and #873.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashling and Deborah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 51 years, from 1964 to 2017, ending at #734 and #873.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ashling #2189 in 1999, Deborah #338 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2017
Ashling held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Deborah in 27.
Highest recorded here: Ashling #76 in 1990, Deborah #38 in 1981.
The order changed in 2015: Ashling moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #876 and #536; by 2015 that had become #494 and #660.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ashling #734, Deborah #873.
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2021
Ashling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Deborah in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ashling #2189 in 1999, Deborah #338 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Ashling #5581, Deborah #801.
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 | Ashling | Deborah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #764 (2021) | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Ashling does not have one recorded yet.
- Ashling has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Deborah.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Ashling doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ashling
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 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 recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1990 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #5581 among girls in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Girls
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #429 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls