Clodagh vs Dervilla
Clodagh and Dervillacompared 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 1993, Clodagh was ranked #59 and Dervilla #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Clodagh and Dervilla over time
Clodagh and Dervilla appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Clodagh held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dervilla in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Dervilla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Clodagh 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1964–1993
Clodagh held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Dervilla in 1.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #59 in 1993, Dervilla #202 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Clodagh #59, Dervilla #516.
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 | Clodagh | Dervilla |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A place-derived name, taken from the River Clodiagh in County Waterford, rather than from a traditional Irish word root. Popularised as a personal name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊdə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #47 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #516 (1993) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 74/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Clodagh has a recorded origin (Irish); Dervilla does not have one recorded yet.
- Clodagh has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Dervilla.
- A meaning is recorded for Clodagh; Dervilla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
How each name got here
Clodagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Dervilla
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 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 recorded1964–1993
Highest recorded position: #202 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1993).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent1993
Most recently recorded at #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993.
Republic of Ireland · Girls