Denise vs Leona
Denise and Leonacompared 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 2009, Denise was ranked #419 and Leona #154 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Denise was ranked #834 and Leona #410 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Denise was ranked #4867 and Leona #705 among girls in England and Wales.
Denise and Leona over time
Denise and Leona appear together in 2 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
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
Denise and Leona changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1965 and 2020, ending at #834 and #410.
- Longest-running competitions
Denise and Leona were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #4867 and #705.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Denise #31 in 1981, Leona #97 in 1980.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1965–2020
Denise held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Leona in 17.
Highest recorded here: Denise #31 in 1981, Leona #97 in 1980.
The order changed in 2004: Leona moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #333 and #362; by 2004 that had become #677 and #242.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Denise #834, Leona #410.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Denise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leona in 30.
Highest recorded here: Denise #664 in 1998, Leona #200 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denise #4867, Leona #705.
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 | Leona |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4867 (2025) | Norway · Girls #267 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Leona.
- 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Leona
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #282 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2021
Highest recorded position: #91 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2021).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #705 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls