Barbara vs Stacey
Barbara and Staceycompared 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 2019, Barbara was ranked #621 and Stacey #551 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Barbara was ranked #2000 and Stacey #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Stacey over time
Barbara and Stacey appear together in 2 published lists, across 65 years of shared records. Stacey held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barbara in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 1 of those lists, and Stacey 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 Stacey changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2000 and #3015.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Stacey were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1977 to 2019, ending at #621 and #551.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Barbara #848 in 1996, Stacey #97 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1977–2019
Barbara held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Stacey in 24.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #71 in 1977, Stacey #39 in 1990.
The order changed in 2017: Stacey moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #585 and #661; by 2017 that had become #734 and #651.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Barbara #621, Stacey #551.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barbara held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Stacey in 20.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Stacey #97 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Barbara moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #1685 and #1621; by 2023 that had become #1410 and #2346.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barbara #2000, Stacey #3015.
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 | Stacey |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #898 (2024) |
| 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 Stacey.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
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
Stacey
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #99 among girls in New Zealand in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1973–1996
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1984 (recorded 1973–1996).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3015 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls