Deborah vs Philomena
Deborah and Philomenacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #608 and Philomena #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Philomena #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Philomena over time
Deborah and Philomena appear together in 2 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Philomena 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.
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 Philomena changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #608 and #885.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Philomena were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #608 and #885.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #76 and #72 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #608 and #885.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Philomena in 2.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Philomena #72 in 1964.
The order changed in 2019: Deborah moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #568 and #568; by 2019 that had become #551 and #716.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #608, Philomena #885.
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Philomena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Philomena #1658 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Philomena #4843.
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 | Philomena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 4 |
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Philomena does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Philomena.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Philomena doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Philomena
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #72 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #72 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls