Deborah vs Margaret
Deborah and Margaretcompared 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 1974, Deborah was ranked #50 and Margaret #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Deborah was ranked #97 and Margaret #80 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #608 and Margaret #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Margaret #244 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Deborah was ranked #451 and Margaret #268 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2020, Deborah was ranked #440 and Margaret #455 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Margaret #493 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Margaret over time
Deborah and Margaret appear together in 6 published lists, across 158 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Deborah in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Margaret reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Deborah in 2. 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 1957, Deborah moved ahead of Margaret in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #7 and #5 the year before became #3 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Margaret changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #708 and #493.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Deborah and Margaret averaged 22.7 places apart, ending at #50 and #93.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Margaret were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #608 and #135.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 59.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #608, Margaret #135.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Margaret in 16.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Margaret #357 in 2020.
The order changed in 2012: Margaret moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #502 and #557; by 2012 that had become #587 and #536.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Margaret #493.
New Zealand · Girls24 shared years, 1954–1984
Deborah held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Margaret in 6.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Margaret #3 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Deborah #97, Margaret #80.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 1952–1974
Deborah held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Margaret in 5.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1957, Margaret #3 in 1952.
The order changed in 1957: Deborah moved ahead. In 1956 they stood at #7 and #5; by 1957 that had become #3 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Deborah #50, Margaret #93.
Norway · Girls12 shared years, 1953–2020
Deborah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Margaret in 9.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #368 in 1957, Margaret #108 in 1953.
The order changed in 1989: Deborah moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #598 and #524; by 1989 that had become #563 and #631.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Deborah #440, Margaret #455.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2012
Deborah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Margaret in 9.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #116 in 1997, Margaret #119 in 2000.
The order changed in 1998: Margaret moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #116 and #154; by 1998 that had become #187 and #155.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Deborah #451, Margaret #268.
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 | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From Latin Margarita, from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl' — likely originally borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language. Associated with Saint Margaret, a 4th-century martyr and patron saint of expectant mothers. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Margaret is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Deborah and Margaret both have 3 syllables.
- Deborah's recorded meaning differs from Margaret's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Margaret
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #173 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls