Barbara vs Daire
Barbara and Dairecompared 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 1996, Barbara was ranked #848 and Daire #2683 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Daire #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Barbara and Daire over time
Barbara and Daire appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Barbara held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Daire in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Daire 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
Barbara and Daire changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1978 and 2023, ending at #856 and #856.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1978–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Daire in 5.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #74 in 1978, Daire #270 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Daire #856.
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 | Barbara | Daire |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Daire.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Daire
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #191 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #40 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2018 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls