Dana vs Shelly
Dana and Shellycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2001, Dana was ranked #343 and Shelly #343 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2003, Dana was ranked #439 and Shelly #655 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Dana was ranked #957 and Shelly #4634 among girls in England and Wales.
Dana and Shelly over time
Dana and Shelly appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Dana held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Shelly in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Dana #210 in 1997, Shelly #983 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1996–2021
Dana held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Shelly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Dana #210 in 1997, Shelly #983 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Dana #957, Shelly #4634.
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 | Shelly |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #499 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4634 (2021) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dana and Shelly both have 2 syllables.
- 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #210 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #499 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Shelly
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1973–2016
Highest recorded position: #326 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1973–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #4634 among girls in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Girls