Deborah vs Wendy
Deborah and Wendycompared 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 1981, Deborah was ranked #58 and Wendy #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1978, Deborah was ranked #71 and Wendy #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Deborah was ranked #187 and Wendy #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Deborah was ranked #905 and Wendy #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Wendy #541 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2009, Deborah was ranked #587 and Wendy #581 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Wendy #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Wendy over time
Deborah and Wendy appear together in 5 published lists, across 142 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Wendy in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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, Wendy 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1955, Deborah moved ahead of Wendy in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #18 and #12 the year before became #12 and #15.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Wendy changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1953 and 2009, ending at #587 and #581.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Deborah and Wendy averaged 12.3 places apart, ending at #71 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Wendy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1964 to 2022, ending at #905 and #502.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1964–2022
Deborah held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Wendy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Wendy #108 in 1977.
The order changed in 2022: Wendy moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #700 and #834; by 2022 that had become #905 and #502.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Deborah #905, Wendy #502.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Wendy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Wendy #2771.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981
Deborah held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Wendy in 4.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Wendy #8 in 1958.
The order changed in 1958: Deborah moved ahead. In 1957 they stood at #15 and #10; by 1958 that had become #6 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Deborah #58, Wendy #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1952–1978
Deborah held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Wendy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1957, Wendy #10 in 1958.
The order changed in 1955: Deborah moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #18 and #12; by 1955 that had become #12 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Deborah #71, Wendy #86.
Norway · Girls10 shared years, 1953–2009
Deborah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Wendy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #418 in 1953, Wendy #319 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Deborah #587, Wendy #581.
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 | Wendy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Popularized by J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, where the character's name was created from the nickname 'fwendy' ('friend') given to Barrie by a young friend. Occasionally appeared before the play and may relate to Welsh names beginning with 'gwen' ('white, blessed'), though the name only became common after Barrie's play. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | /ˈwɛn.di/ |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Wendy is recorded with a Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection origin.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Wendy.
- Deborah's recorded meaning differs from Wendy'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
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
Wendy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #16 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 recorded1954–1981
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1954–1981).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls