Namewise

Debra vs Jennifer

Debra and Jennifercompared 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 Jennifer #10 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1973, Debra was ranked #97 and Jennifer #31 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2004, Debra was ranked #677 and Jennifer #54 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Debra was ranked #4867 and Jennifer #650 among girls in England and Wales.

Debra and Jennifer over time

Debra and Jennifer appear together in 4 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Jennifer held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Debra in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Jennifer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Debra 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.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Debra and Jennifer averaged 37.4 places apart, ending at #99 and #10.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Debra and Jennifer were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1964 to 2004, ending at #677 and #54.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Debra #1364 in 1996, Jennifer #54 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1964–2004

    Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jennifer in 33.

    Highest recorded here: Debra #230 in 1970, Jennifer #4 in 1981.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2004: Debra #677, Jennifer #54.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1953–1973

    Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jennifer in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Debra #6 in 1958, Jennifer #1 in 1956.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #99, Jennifer #10.

  • New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1955–1973

    Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jennifer in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Debra #17 in 1959, Jennifer #4 in 1957.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #97, Jennifer #31.

  • England and Wales · Girls16 shared years, 1996–2025

    Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jennifer in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Jennifer #54 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Debra #4867, Jennifer #650.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Debra

Pairs where Debra shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Jennifer

Pairs where Jennifer shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1970s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1970 and 1979.

The 1970s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Debra, Jennifer
FieldDebraJennifer
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom a Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), combining 'gwyn' and 'hwyfar'. Confined mainly to Cornwall until George Bernard Shaw's 1906 play The Doctor's Dilemma sparked wider adoption.
OriginNot yet recordedWelsh, via Cornish transmission
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.fəɹ/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #4867 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Jennifer has a recorded origin (Welsh, via Cornish transmission); Debra does not have one recorded yet.
  • Debra has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jennifer.
  • A meaning is recorded for Jennifer; Debra doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Debra

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1953–1973

    Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1958 (recorded 1953–1973).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Jennifer

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #331 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1952–2003

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1956 (recorded 1952–2003).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #650 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls