Barbara vs Dervla
Barbara 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Barbara was ranked #734 and Dervla #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Barbara was ranked #1031 and Dervla #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Dervla over time
Barbara and Dervla appear together in 2 published lists, across 56 years of shared records. Barbara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dervla 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 Dervla 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 Dervla changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1966 and 2017, ending at #734 and #651.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Dervla were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1966 to 2017, ending at #734 and #651.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Barbara #848 in 1996, Dervla #1666 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1966–2017
Barbara held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Dervla in 12.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #45 in 1967, Dervla #235 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Dervla moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #585 and #868; by 2017 that had become #734 and #651.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Barbara #734, Dervla #651.
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1996–2016
Barbara held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Dervla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Dervla #1666 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Barbara #1031, 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
| Field | Barbara | Dervla |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 · Girls #651 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Dervla.
- 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
Dervla
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1997–2012
Highest recorded position: #161 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2012).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls