Bernadette vs Donna
Bernadette and Donnacompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1970, Bernadette was ranked #95 and Donna #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Bernadette was ranked #291 and Donna #259 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Bernadette was ranked #736 and Donna #736 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bernadette was ranked #1603 and Donna #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Bernadette and Donna over time
Bernadette and Donna appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Donna held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Bernadette in 1.
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.
Bernadette reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Donna 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
Bernadette and Donna changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1603 and #5891.
- Longest-running competitions
Bernadette and Donna were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 51 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #736 and #736.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Bernadette #620 in 1996, Donna #441 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2024
Bernadette held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Donna in 31.
Highest recorded here: Bernadette #12 in 1969, Donna #33 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernadette #736, Donna #736.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bernadette held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Donna in 11.
Highest recorded here: Bernadette #620 in 1996, Donna #441 in 1996.
The order changed in 2014: Bernadette moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #2649 and #2649; by 2014 that had become #2659 and #3514.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernadette #1603, Donna #5891.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls8 shared years, 1958–1970
Bernadette held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Donna in 8.
Highest recorded here: Bernadette #79 in 1958, Donna #5 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1970: Bernadette #95, Donna #16.
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 | Bernadette | Donna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 64/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bernadette has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Donna.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Bernadette
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Donna
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls