Deirdre vs Grainne
Deirdre and Grainnecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Deirdre was ranked #876 and Grainne #229 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1999, Deirdre was ranked #3900 and Grainne #1557 among girls in England and Wales.
Deirdre and Grainne over time
Deirdre and Grainne appear together in 1 published list, across 50 years of shared records. Deirdre held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Grainne 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.
Deirdre reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Grainne 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1994, Grainne moved ahead of Deirdre in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #51 and #54 the year before became #61 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Deirdre and Grainne were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2014, ending at #876 and #229.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2014
Deirdre held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Grainne in 21.
Highest recorded here: Deirdre #7 in 1966, Grainne #37 in 1989.
The order changed in 1994: Grainne moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #51 and #54; by 1994 that had become #61 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Deirdre #876, Grainne #229.
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 | Deirdre | Grainne |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #871 (2019) | Northern Ireland · Girls #407 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deirdre and Grainne both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Deirdre
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2019
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2019.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Grainne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #62 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #407 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls