Clare vs Deborah
Clare and Deborahcompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1978, Clare was ranked #90 and Deborah #43 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1980, Clare was ranked #84 and Deborah #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Clare was ranked #383 and Deborah #451 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Clare was ranked #718 and Deborah #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Clare was ranked #4192 and Deborah #708 among girls in England and Wales.
Clare and Deborah over time
Clare and Deborah appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Clare in 1.
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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Clare 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
Clare and Deborah changed places 11 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #718 and #608.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 57 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Clare and Deborah averaged 56.1 places apart, ending at #718 and #608.
- Longest-running competitions
Clare and Deborah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 57 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #718 and #608.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Clare #200 in 1996, Deborah #302 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1964–2025
Clare held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Deborah in 27.
Highest recorded here: Clare #45 in 1985, Deborah #38 in 1981.
The order changed in 2025: Deborah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #747 and #905; by 2025 that had become #718 and #608.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clare #718, Deborah #608.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clare held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Deborah in 24.
Highest recorded here: Clare #200 in 1996, Deborah #302 in 1996.
The order changed in 2001: Deborah moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #397 and #418; by 2001 that had become #444 and #405.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clare #4192, Deborah #708.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2012
Clare held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Deborah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Clare #66 in 1997, Deborah #116 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Clare #383, Deborah #451.
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 | Clare | Deborah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Clare does not have one recorded yet.
- Clare has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Deborah.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Clare doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Clare
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #45 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (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
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 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
Highest recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #429 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls