Deborah vs Nuala
Deborah and Nualacompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Nuala #431 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Deborah was ranked #451 and Nuala #451 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Nuala #1036 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #736 and Nuala #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Deborah and Nuala over time
Deborah and Nuala appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nuala 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Nuala changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #736 and #898.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Nuala were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 42 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #736 and #898.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls42 shared years, 1964–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Nuala in 2.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Nuala #71 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #736, Nuala #898.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nuala in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Nuala #860 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Nuala #1036.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1997–2012
Deborah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Nuala in 1.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #116 in 1997, Nuala #161 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Deborah #451, Nuala #451.
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 | Nuala |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #431 (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); Nuala does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Nuala.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Nuala doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Nuala
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #71 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1036 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls