Deborah vs Jillian
Deborah and Jilliancompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1966, Deborah was ranked #3 and Jillian #93 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1955, Deborah was ranked #12 and Jillian #87 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Deborah was ranked #167 and Jillian #344 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2007, Deborah was ranked #373 and Jillian #624 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Jillian #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Jillian over time
Deborah and Jillian appear together in 3 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jillian in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Jillian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 40 years, from 1964 to 2007, ending at #373 and #624.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Jillian #2096 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1964–2007
Deborah held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Jillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Jillian #173 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Deborah #373, Jillian #624.
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Jillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Jillian #2096 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Jillian #5891.
New Zealand · Girls13 shared years, 1954–1966
Deborah held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Jillian #44 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Deborah #3, Jillian #93.
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 | Jillian |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Jillian does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Jillian.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Jillian 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
Jillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #87 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 recorded1954–1966
Highest recorded position: #44 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1966).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls