Debra vs Wendy
Debra and Wendycompared 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 1973, Debra was ranked #97 and Wendy #42 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1973, Debra was ranked #99 and Wendy #66 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Debra was ranked #677 and Wendy #511 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Wendy #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Wendy over time
Debra and Wendy appear together in 4 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Wendy held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Debra in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Wendy in 1. 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.
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 Wendy changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2004, ending at #677 and #511.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Debra and Wendy averaged 18.4 places apart, ending at #99 and #66.
- Longest-running competitions
Debra and Wendy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1964 to 2004, ending at #677 and #511.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Debra #1364 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1964–2004
Debra held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Wendy in 30.
Highest recorded here: Debra #230 in 1970, Wendy #108 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Debra #677, Wendy #511.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1953–1973
Debra held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Wendy in 16.
Highest recorded here: Debra #6 in 1958, Wendy #10 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #99, Wendy #66.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1955–1973
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Wendy in 19.
Highest recorded here: Debra #17 in 1959, Wendy #8 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #97, Wendy #42.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Wendy in 15.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Wendy #2771.
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 | Wendy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Popularized by J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, where the character's name was created from the nickname 'fwendy' ('friend') given to Barrie by a young friend. Occasionally appeared before the play and may relate to Welsh names beginning with 'gwen' ('white, blessed'), though the name only became common after Barrie's play. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɛn.di/ |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Scotland · Girls #541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Wendy has a recorded origin (Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection); Debra does not have one recorded yet.
- Debra and Wendy both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Wendy; Debra doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Wendy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #16 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 recorded1954–1981
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1954–1981).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls