Debra vs Marion

Debra and Marioncompared 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 1956, Debra was ranked #19 and Marion #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1957, Debra was ranked #45 and Marion #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2002, Debra was ranked #620 and Marion #406 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Marion #2253 among girls in England and Wales.

Debra and Marion over time

Debra and Marion appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Marion 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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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.

Repeatedly exchanged positions
Debra and Marion changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #5891 and #2253.
Longest-running competitions
Debra and Marion were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1964 to 2002, ending at #620 and #406.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Debra #1364 in 1996, Marion #1450 in 1997.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1964–2002
Debra held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Marion in 31.
Highest recorded here: Debra #230 in 1970, Marion #125 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Debra #620, Marion #406.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Marion in 10.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Marion #1450 in 1997.
The order changed in 2014: Marion moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #4688 and #5707; by 2014 that had become #4684 and #2058.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Marion #2253.

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, Marion
Field	Debra	Marion
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	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024)	Norway · Girls #253 (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 and Marion 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

Marion

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #183 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #57 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #253 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls