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Audrey vs Barbara

Audrey and Barbara compared 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 2025, Audrey was ranked #312 and Barbara #2440 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2023, Audrey was ranked #856 and Barbara #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Audrey and Barbara over time

Republic of Ireland · Girls
#100#30019642023Audrey #856Barbara #8561964: Audrey #85, Barbara #431965: Audrey #73, Barbara #451966: Audrey #63, Barbara #481967: Audrey #44, Barbara #451968: Audrey #48, Barbara #471969: Audrey #53, Barbara #561970: Audrey #48, Barbara #591971: Audrey #48, Barbara #491972: Audrey #56, Barbara #541973: Audrey #47, Barbara #671974: Audrey #54, Barbara #631975: Audrey #65, Barbara #711976: Audrey #52, Barbara #671977: Audrey #64, Barbara #711978: Audrey #68, Barbara #741979: Audrey #68, Barbara #841980: Audrey #67, Barbara #951981: Audrey #78, Barbara #781982: Audrey #80, Barbara #1031983: Audrey #97, Barbara #1171984: Audrey #98, Barbara #1001985: Audrey #115, Barbara #1231986: Audrey #115, Barbara #1441987: Audrey #119, Barbara #1641988: Audrey #116, Barbara #1851989: Audrey #152, Barbara #1711990: Audrey #168, Barbara #2081991: Audrey #193, Barbara #2241992: Audrey #229, Barbara #2291993: Audrey #234, Barbara #3561994: Audrey #240, Barbara #2121995: Audrey #310, Barbara #3521996: Audrey #279, Barbara #4291997: Audrey #250, Barbara #3631998: Audrey #345, Barbara #3802001: Audrey #441, Barbara #4982005: Audrey #461, Barbara #6892008: Audrey #469, Barbara #5972009: Audrey #488, Barbara #4392011: Audrey #695, Barbara #3932012: Audrey #768, Barbara #5602014: Audrey #494, Barbara #8762015: Audrey #532, Barbara #3162016: Audrey #476, Barbara #5852017: Audrey #471, Barbara #7342018: Audrey #568, Barbara #6292019: Audrey #716, Barbara #6212020: Audrey #495, Barbara #4952021: Audrey #661, Barbara #8832022: Audrey #905, Barbara #7472023: Audrey #856, Barbara #856

Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.

England and Wales · Girls
#300#100019962025Audrey #312Barbara #24401996: Audrey #2683, Barbara #8481997: Audrey #1666, Barbara #10451998: Audrey #1319, Barbara #13921999: Audrey #1317, Barbara #10602000: Audrey #1313, Barbara #11392001: Audrey #1170, Barbara #15202002: Audrey #1372, Barbara #11512003: Audrey #1325, Barbara #13252004: Audrey #736, Barbara #16172005: Audrey #802, Barbara #15892006: Audrey #665, Barbara #16602007: Audrey #899, Barbara #12342008: Audrey #691, Barbara #11762009: Audrey #576, Barbara #11712010: Audrey #655, Barbara #10402011: Audrey #468, Barbara #10152012: Audrey #499, Barbara #11302013: Audrey #437, Barbara #12912014: Audrey #386, Barbara #12992015: Audrey #298, Barbara #14522016: Audrey #315, Barbara #10312017: Audrey #298, Barbara #12582018: Audrey #298, Barbara #8862019: Audrey #294, Barbara #10632020: Audrey #319, Barbara #12382021: Audrey #336, Barbara #13512022: Audrey #382, Barbara #16852023: Audrey #350, Barbara #14102024: Audrey #355, Barbara #20002025: Audrey #312, Barbara #2440

Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.

Audrey and Barbara over time

Audrey and Barbara appear together in 2 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Audrey held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barbara 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.

Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Audrey 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

    Audrey and Barbara changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #312 and #2440.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Audrey and Barbara were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #312 and #2440.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2023

    Audrey held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Barbara in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Audrey #44 in 1967, Barbara #43 in 1964.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Audrey #856, Barbara #856.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Audrey held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Barbara in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Audrey #294 in 2019, Barbara #848 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2004: Audrey moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #1325 and #1325; by 2004 that had become #736 and #1617.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Audrey #312, Barbara #2440.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Audrey

Pairs where Audrey shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Barbara

Pairs where Barbara shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — repeatedly exchanged positions.

All repeatedly exchanged positions →

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Republic of Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Republic of Ireland overview →

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars →

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Audrey, Barbara
FieldAudreyBarbara
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageNew South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of IrelandNew South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Girls #34 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #2440 (2025)
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Audrey has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Barbara.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Audrey

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #85 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

  2. Highest recorded2008–2025

    Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2021 (recorded 2008–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #312 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Barbara

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1954–1971

    Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2440 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls