Deborah vs Teresa
Deborah and Teresacompared 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 Teresa #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Deborah was ranked #97 and Teresa #96 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2009, Deborah was ranked #419 and Teresa #419 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2016, Deborah was ranked #550 and Teresa #571 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #580 and Teresa #1362 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #608 and Teresa #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Deborah and Teresa over time
Deborah and Teresa appear together in 5 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Teresa in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, Teresa in 1. 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 Teresa changed places 15 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #608 and #885.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Deborah and Teresa averaged 54.3 places apart, ending at #97 and #96.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Teresa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #580 and #1362.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Teresa #526 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Teresa in 25.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Teresa #19 in 1964.
The order changed in 2025: Deborah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #736 and #631; by 2025 that had become #608 and #885.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #608, Teresa #885.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Teresa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Teresa #526 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #580, Teresa #1362.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1957–1984
Deborah held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Teresa in 1.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Teresa #53 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Deborah #97, Teresa #96.
Norway · Girls13 shared years, 1953–2016
Deborah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Teresa in 11.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #368 in 1957, Teresa #242 in 1958.
The order changed in 2000: Deborah moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #563 and #548; by 2000 that had become #501 and #573.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Deborah #550, Teresa #571.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls9 shared years, 1963–1974
Deborah held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Teresa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #10 in 1963, Teresa #86 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Deborah #50, Teresa #96.
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 | Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| 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 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Teresa does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah and Teresa both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Teresa 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 #580 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Teresa
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #387 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1362 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls