Debra vs Donna
Debra and Donnacompared 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 1973, Debra was ranked #99 and Donna #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1973, Debra was ranked #97 and Donna #26 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Debra was ranked #677 and Donna #272 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Donna #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Donna over time
Debra and Donna appear together in 4 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Donna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Debra 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.
Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Donna 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 1961, Donna moved ahead of Debra in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #7 and #12 the year before became #18 and #6.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Debra and Donna averaged 37.2 places apart, ending at #99 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Debra and Donna were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1964 to 2004, ending at #677 and #272.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Debra #1364 in 1996, Donna #441 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1964–2004
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Donna in 33.
Highest recorded here: Debra #230 in 1970, Donna #33 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Debra #677, Donna #272.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1953–1973
Debra held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Donna in 12.
Highest recorded here: Debra #6 in 1958, Donna #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1961: Donna moved ahead. In 1960 they stood at #7 and #12; by 1961 that had become #18 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #99, Donna #25.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1955–1973
Debra held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Donna in 18.
Highest recorded here: Debra #17 in 1959, Donna #6 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #97, Donna #26.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Donna in 13.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Donna #441 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Donna #5891.
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 | Debra | Donna |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Debra and Donna both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Debra
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #75 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1973
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1958 (recorded 1953–1973).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Donna
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls