Dawn vs Sheelagh
Dawn and Sheelaghcompared 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 1987, Dawn was ranked #188 and Sheelagh #446 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Dawn and Sheelagh over time
Dawn and Sheelagh appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Dawn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sheelagh 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.
Sheelagh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Dawn 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 · Girls20 shared years, 1964–1987
Dawn held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sheelagh in 2.
Highest recorded here: Dawn #121 in 1986, Sheelagh #243 in 1970.
The order changed in 1971: Dawn moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #243 and #243; by 1971 that had become #212 and #383.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Dawn #188, Sheelagh #446.
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 | Dawn | Sheelagh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #446 (1987) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 68/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dawn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sheelagh.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
How each name got here
Dawn
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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3333 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sheelagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #245 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 recorded1964–1987
Highest recorded position: #243 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–1987).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent1987
Most recently recorded at #446 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1987.
Republic of Ireland · Girls