Audrey vs Barbara
Audrey and Barbaracompared 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, Audrey was ranked #355 and Barbara #2000 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
Audrey and Barbara appear together in 2 published lists, across 80 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 2024, ending at #355 and #2000.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Audrey rose about as far as Barbara fell — from #2683 and #848 in 1996 to #355 and #2000 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Audrey and Barbara were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 51 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #856 and #856.
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 · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Audrey held the stronger position in 23 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, 2024: Audrey #355, Barbara #2000.
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 | Audrey | Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #34 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
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
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
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2021 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Barbara
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls