Deborah vs Donna
Deborah and Donnacompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1980, Deborah was ranked #86 and Donna #64 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Deborah was ranked #97 and Donna #90 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Deborah was ranked #372 and Donna #372 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Donna #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #736 and Donna #736 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Deborah and Donna over time
Deborah and Donna appear together in 4 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Donna in 1.
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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Donna in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1963, Donna moved ahead of Deborah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #6 and #7 the year before became #10 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Donna changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1984, ending at #97 and #90.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Deborah and Donna averaged 22.6 places apart, ending at #86 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Donna were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 30 years, from 1954 to 1984, ending at #97 and #90.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Donna #441 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1964–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Donna in 21.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Donna #33 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #736, Donna #736.
New Zealand · Girls30 shared years, 1954–1984
Deborah held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Donna in 6.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Donna #6 in 1965.
The order changed in 1984: Donna moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #65 and #78; by 1984 that had become #97 and #90.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Deborah #97, Donna #90.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Donna in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Donna #441 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Donna #5891.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1953–1980
Deborah held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Donna in 18.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1957, Donna #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1963: Donna moved ahead. In 1962 they stood at #6 and #7; by 1963 that had become #10 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Deborah #86, Donna #64.
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 | Deborah | Donna |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Donna does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Donna.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Donna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 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 recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #429 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Donna
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls