Dara vs Denise
Dara and Denisecompared 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 2020, Dara was ranked #294 and Denise #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Dara was ranked #312 and Denise #426 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Dara was ranked #2574 and Denise #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Dara and Denise over time
Dara and Denise appear together in 2 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Denise held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dara in 0.
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.
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
Dara and Denise changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2574 and #4843.
- Longest-running competitions
Dara and Denise were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1966 to 2020, ending at #294 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Dara #1393 in 1999, Denise #664 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1966–2020
Dara held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Denise in 36.
Highest recorded here: Dara #175 in 1969, Denise #31 in 1981.
The order changed in 2014: Dara moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #894 and #894; by 2014 that had become #584 and #876.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Dara #294, Denise #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dara held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Denise in 15.
Highest recorded here: Dara #1393 in 1999, Denise #664 in 1998.
The order changed in 2020: Dara moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #2643 and #2040; by 2020 that had become #1618 and #4535.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dara #2574, Denise #4843.
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 | Dara | Denise |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| 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
- Dara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Denise.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dara
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #72 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Denise
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #24 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 recorded1952–1969
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1969).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls