Debra vs Laya

Debra and Layacompared 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.

England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Laya #1819 among girls in England and Wales.

Debra and Laya over time

Debra and Laya appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Laya 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.

Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Laya 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.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 2000–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Laya in 6.
Highest recorded here: Debra #3099 in 2003, Laya #1628 in 2014.
The order changed in 2008: Laya moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #3099 and #4373; by 2008 that had become #5545 and #2292.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Laya #1819.

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.

Jennifer vs Debra
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Jennifer #1 in 1956, Debra #6 in 1958.
Jennifer · Debra · 20 shared years, 1953–1973 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1958 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Karen vs Debra
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Karen #1 in 1957, Debra #17 in 1959.
Karen · Debra · 19 shared years, 1955–1973 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1959 New Zealand ranking
Donna vs Debra
In 1961, Donna moved ahead of Debra in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #12 and #7 the year before became #6 and #18.
Donna · Debra · 20 shared years, 1953–1973 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1961 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Debra vs Vicki
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Debra and Vicki averaged 11.8 places apart, ending at #99 and #74.
Debra · Vicki · 20 shared years, 1953–1973 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1973 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Debra, Laya
Field	Debra	Laya
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	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ	GB-ENW, IE
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024)	England and Wales · Girls #1819 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	60/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Debra has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Laya.
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

Laya

Popularity journey

First recorded2000
First recorded at #3912 among girls in England and Wales in 2000 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2022
Highest recorded position: #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2014–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1819 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls