Dana vs Fern
Dana and Ferncompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Dana was ranked #894 and Fern #301 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Dana was ranked #718 and Fern #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Dana and Fern over time
Dana and Fern appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Fern held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dana 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
Dana and Fern changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #894 and #301.
- Longest-running competitions
Dana and Fern were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #894 and #301.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Dana #210 in 1997, Fern #233 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Dana held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Fern in 28.
Highest recorded here: Dana #210 in 1997, Fern #233 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dana #894, Fern #301.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2025
Dana held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Fern in 4.
Highest recorded here: Dana #346 in 1997, Fern #544 in 2025.
The order changed in 2009: Fern moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #597 and #862; by 2009 that had become #893 and #742.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dana #718, Fern #544.
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 | Dana | Fern |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #499 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #301 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dana has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Fern.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dana
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #496 among girls in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #210 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Fern
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #523 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #233 among girls in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #301 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls