Namewise

Cheryl vs Dara

Cheryl and Daracompared 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, Cheryl was ranked #873 and Dara #272 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Cheryl was ranked #5891 and Dara #2574 among girls in England and Wales.

Cheryl and Dara over time

Cheryl and Dara appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Cheryl held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dara 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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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

    Cheryl and Dara changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #5891 and #2574.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Cheryl and Dara were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 31 years, from 1966 to 2017, ending at #873 and #272.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 19662017

    Cheryl held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Dara in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Cheryl #179 in 1989, Dara #196 in 1970.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Cheryl #873, Dara #272.

  • England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 19962024

    Cheryl held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Dara in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Cheryl #671 in 1996, Dara #1393 in 1999.

    The order changed in 2020: Dara moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #2286 and #2643; by 2020 that had become #5493 and #1618.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Cheryl #5891, Dara #2574.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Cheryl, Dara
FieldCherylDara
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemaleUsed for both boys and girls
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024)Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Cheryl and Dara both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Cheryl

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1952–1972

    Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls

Dara

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #155 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #72 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls