Debra vs Lyra
Debra and Lyracompared 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 Lyra #83 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Lyra over time
Debra and Lyra appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Lyra 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 Lyra 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 · Girls11 shared years, 1999–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Lyra in 9.
Highest recorded here: Debra #2189 in 1999, Lyra #78 in 2022.
The order changed in 2002: Lyra moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #2226 and #2783; by 2002 that had become #4137 and #2105.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Lyra #83.
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 | Lyra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Debra and Lyra both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Lyra
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #3900 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #78 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1999–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls