Debra vs Helene
Debra and Helenecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1991, Debra was ranked #515 and Helene #515 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2014, Debra was ranked #4684 and Helene #5691 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Helene over time
Debra and Helene appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Helene held the stronger position in more years in 1 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Debra #1364 in 1996, Helene #1168 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 1996–2014
Debra held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Helene in 7.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Helene #1168 in 1996.
The order changed in 2014: Debra moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #4688 and #2843; by 2014 that had become #4684 and #5691.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Debra #4684, Helene #5691.
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 | Helene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Norway · Girls #101 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Debra has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Helene.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Helene
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #110 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Norway, in 1995 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #101 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls