Debra vs Michele
Debra and Michelecompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1969, Debra was ranked #63 and Michele #93 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1972, Debra was ranked #83 and Michele #95 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Debra was ranked #576 and Michele #394 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Debra was ranked #5669 and Michele #5669 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Michele over time
Debra and Michele appear together in 4 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Debra held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Michele in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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 Michele changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 1997, ending at #576 and #394.
- Longest-running competitions
Debra and Michele were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 31 years, from 1964 to 1997, ending at #576 and #394.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Debra #6 in 1958, Michele #44 in 1958.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1964–1997
Debra held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Michele in 26.
Highest recorded here: Debra #230 in 1970, Michele #59 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Debra #576, Michele #394.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1953–1972
Debra held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Michele in 1.
Highest recorded here: Debra #6 in 1958, Michele #44 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Debra #83, Michele #95.
New Zealand · Girls11 shared years, 1958–1969
Debra held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Michele in 0.
Highest recorded here: Debra #17 in 1959, Michele #50 in 1961.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1969: Debra #63, Michele #93.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1996–2022
Debra held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Michele in 2.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Michele #1914 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Debra #5669, Michele #5669.
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 | Michele |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #3254 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Debra has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Michele.
- 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
Michele
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #78 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1972
Highest recorded position: #44 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1958 (recorded 1952–1972).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3254 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys