Dearbhail vs Heidi
Dearbhail and Heidicompared 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 2011, Dearbhail was ranked #937 and Heidi #120 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2007, Dearbhail was ranked #413 and Heidi #162 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Dearbhail and Heidi over time
Dearbhail and Heidi appear together in 2 published lists, across 27 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dearbhail 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.
Dearbhail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Heidi 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.
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
Dearbhail and Heidi changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1970 and 2011, ending at #937 and #120.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 1970–2011
Dearbhail held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Heidi in 12.
Highest recorded here: Dearbhail #344 in 1988, Heidi #120 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Dearbhail #937, Heidi #120.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2007
Dearbhail held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Heidi in 4.
Highest recorded here: Dearbhail #174 in 1998, Heidi #162 in 2007.
The order changed in 2007: Heidi moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #226 and #278; by 2007 that had become #413 and #162.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Dearbhail #413, Heidi #162.
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 | Dearbhail | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #937 (2011) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Heidi has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid); Dearbhail does not have one recorded yet.
- Dearbhail and Heidi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Heidi; Dearbhail doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dearbhail
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #396 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2007
Highest recorded position: #174 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2007).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2011.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls