Namewise

Deborah vs Rachel

Deborah and Rachelcompared 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 1985, Deborah was ranked #94 and Rachel #7 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1980, Deborah was ranked #86 and Rachel #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2012, Deborah was ranked #451 and Rachel #64 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Deborah was ranked #608 and Rachel #186 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Deborah was ranked #580 and Rachel #394 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Rachel #431 among girls in Scotland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2024, Deborah was ranked #453 and Rachel #472 among girls in Norway.

Deborah and Rachel over time

Deborah and Rachel appear together in 6 published lists, across 154 years of shared records. Rachel held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Deborah in 0.

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.

Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Rachel 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.

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 1971, Rachel moved ahead of Deborah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #33 and #42 the year before became #40 and #29.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Deborah and Rachel changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1972 and 2024, ending at #453 and #472.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Deborah and Rachel averaged 37.8 places apart, ending at #94 and #7.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Deborah and Rachel were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #580 and #394.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Rachel #27 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025

    Deborah held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Rachel in 46.

    Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Rachel #6 in 1997.

    The order changed in 1982: Rachel moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #38 and #39; by 1982 that had become #42 and #40.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #608, Rachel #186.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rachel in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Rachel #27 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #580, Rachel #394.

  • Norway · Girls21 shared years, 1972–2024

    Deborah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Rachel in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Deborah #443 in 1973, Rachel #214 in 1973.

    The order changed in 2019: Deborah moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #550 and #490; by 2019 that had become #470 and #524.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #453, Rachel #472.

  • New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 1965–1985

    Deborah held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Rachel in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Rachel #3 in 1971.

    The order changed in 1970: Rachel moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #8 and #22; by 1970 that had become #10 and #4.

    Most recent shared year, 1985: Deborah #94, Rachel #7.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 1968–1980

    Deborah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Rachel in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Deborah #23 in 1968, Rachel #12 in 1974.

    The order changed in 1971: Rachel moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #33 and #42; by 1971 that had become #40 and #29.

    Most recent shared year, 1980: Deborah #86, Rachel #22.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2012

    Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rachel in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Deborah #116 in 1997, Rachel #7 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2012: Deborah #451, Rachel #64.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Deborah

Pairs where Deborah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Rachel

Pairs where Rachel shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1980s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1980 and 1989.

The 1980s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Deborah, Rachel
FieldDeborahRachel
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningFrom Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces.Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel
Pronunciation/ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə//ˈreɪtʃəl/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #429 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Deborah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Rachel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel origin.
  • Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rachel.
  • Deborah's recorded meaning differs from Rachel'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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1980

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #580 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Rachel

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1951

    First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1965–2006

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #394 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls