Denise vs Leigha
Denise and Leighacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Denise was ranked #426 and Leigha #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Denise was ranked #734 and Leigha #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Denise was ranked #4843 and Leigha #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Denise and Leigha over time
Denise and Leigha appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Denise reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Leigha 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Denise and Leigha changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #4843 and #5891.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Denise held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Leigha in 20.
Highest recorded here: Denise #664 in 1998, Leigha #668 in 2005.
The order changed in 2023: Denise moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #4535 and #3899; by 2023 that had become #3598 and #5687.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denise #4843, Leigha #5891.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1995–2017
Denise held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Leigha in 4.
Highest recorded here: Denise #106 in 1995, Leigha #315 in 2001.
The order changed in 2013: Leigha moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #612 and #768; by 2013 that had become #894 and #540.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Denise #734, Leigha #651.
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 | Denise | Leigha |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 73/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Leigha.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Denise
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #24 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 recorded1952–1969
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1969).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Leigha
Popularity journey
First recorded1995
First recorded at #451 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1995 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2000–2017
Highest recorded position: #268 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2012 (recorded 2000–2017).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls