Debra vs Holly
Debra and Hollycompared 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 2004, Debra was ranked #677 and Holly #25 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Holly #137 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Holly over time
Debra and Holly appear together in 2 published lists, across 32 years of shared records. Holly held the stronger position in more years in 2 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 2 of those lists, and Holly 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 1986, Holly moved ahead of Debra in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #233 and #242 the year before became #422 and #193.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1976–2004
Debra held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Holly in 11.
Highest recorded here: Debra #233 in 1985, Holly #25 in 2004.
The order changed in 1986: Holly moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #233 and #242; by 1986 that had become #422 and #193.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Debra #677, Holly #25.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Holly in 15.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Holly #12 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Holly #137.
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 | Holly |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #69 (2025) |
| 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 Holly 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
Holly
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #392 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–2025
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1976–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls