Debra vs Sharlene
Debra and Sharlenecompared 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 1972, Debra was ranked #78 and Sharlene #79 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1990, Debra was ranked #336 and Sharlene #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Debra was ranked #5493 and Sharlene #5493 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Sharlene over time
Debra and Sharlene appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Debra held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sharlene in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sharlene 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, 1996–2020
Debra held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sharlene in 2.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Sharlene #2411 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Debra #5493, Sharlene #5493.
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 | Sharlene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4867 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5493 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Debra has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sharlene.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sharlene
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #89 among girls in New Zealand in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1971–1974
Highest recorded position: #79 among girls in New Zealand, in 1972 (recorded 1971–1974).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #5493 among girls in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Girls