Barbara vs Maddie
Barbara and Maddiecompared 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 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Maddie #296 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Barbara was ranked #2000 and Maddie #374 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Maddie over time
Barbara and Maddie appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Maddie 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 Maddie 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 Maddie changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2008 and 2023, ending at #856 and #296.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Barbara #316 in 2015, Maddie #236 in 2016.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barbara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maddie in 29.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Maddie #255 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barbara #2000, Maddie #374.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2008–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Maddie in 9.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #316 in 2015, Maddie #236 in 2016.
The order changed in 2021: Maddie moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #495 and #700; by 2021 that had become #883 and #363.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Maddie #296.
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 | Maddie |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) |
| 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 Maddie.
- 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
Maddie
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #643 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #127 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2002–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls