Deborah vs Susan
Deborah and Susancompared 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 1980, Deborah was ranked #86 and Susan #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Deborah was ranked #97 and Susan #86 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2007, Deborah was ranked #351 and Susan #413 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Deborah was ranked #551 and Susan #621 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2003, Deborah was ranked #586 and Susan #570 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Susan #2253 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Susan over time
Deborah and Susan appear together in 6 published lists, across 166 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Susan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Susan changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1953 and 2003, ending at #586 and #570.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Deborah and Susan averaged 12.4 places apart, ending at #86 and #65.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Susan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2019, ending at #551 and #621.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Susan #397 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2019
Deborah held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Susan in 44.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Susan #14 in 1968.
The order changed in 2019: Deborah moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #568 and #568; by 2019 that had become #551 and #621.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Deborah #551, Susan #621.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Susan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Susan #397 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Susan #2253.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1952–1980
Deborah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Susan in 28.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1957, Susan #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Deborah #86, Susan #65.
New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1954–1984
Deborah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Susan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Susan #1 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Deborah #97, Susan #86.
Norway · Girls16 shared years, 1953–2003
Deborah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Susan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #368 in 1957, Susan #196 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2003: Deborah #586, Susan #570.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1997–2007
Deborah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Susan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #116 in 1997, Susan #187 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Deborah #351, Susan #413.
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 | Susan |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2253 (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); Susan does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Susan.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Susan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Susan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #239 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1985
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1985).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2253 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls