Deborah vs Ma
Deborah and Macompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2009, Deborah was ranked #469 and Ma #5556 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 1996, Deborah was ranked #627 and Ma #532 among girls in Norway.
Deborah and Ma over time
Deborah and Ma appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Ma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Deborah 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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ma 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
Norway · Girls9 shared years, 1964–1996
Deborah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Ma in 6.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #443 in 1973, Ma #286 in 1987.
The order changed in 1996: Ma moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #485 and #582; by 1996 that had become #627 and #532.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Deborah #627, Ma #532.
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 | Ma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5556 (2009) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Ma does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Ma.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Ma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
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
Ma
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #462 among girls in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–2005
Highest recorded position: #252 among girls in Norway, in 1985 (recorded 1962–2005).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2005
Most recently recorded at #609 among girls in Norway, in 2005.
Norway · Girls