Namewise

Denise vs Mary

Denise and Marycompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1969, Denise was ranked #97 and Mary #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1973, Denise was ranked #86 and Mary #66 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2020, Denise was ranked #834 and Mary #82 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2015, Denise was ranked #426 and Mary #116 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Denise was ranked #4843 and Mary #337 among girls in England and Wales.

Denise and Mary over time

Denise and Mary appear together in 4 published lists, across 121 years of shared records. Mary held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Denise in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Mary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Denise 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 Mary changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1973, ending at #86 and #66.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Denise and Mary averaged 11.6 places apart, ending at #86 and #66.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Denise and Mary were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #834 and #82.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Denise #664 in 1998, Mary #118 in 1997.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2020

    Denise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 54.

    Highest recorded here: Denise #31 in 1981, Mary #1 in 1964.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2020: Denise #834, Mary #82.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Denise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Denise #664 in 1998, Mary #118 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Denise #4843, Mary #337.

  • New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 1954–1973

    Denise held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Mary in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Denise #23 in 1960, Mary #6 in 1954.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1973: Denise #86, Mary #66.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 1952–1969

    Denise held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Mary in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Denise #22 in 1953, Mary #19 in 1952.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1969: Denise #97, Mary #55.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Denise

Pairs where Denise shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Mary

Pairs where Mary shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1970s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1970 and 1979.

The 1970s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Denise, Mary
FieldDeniseMary
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024)Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Denise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mary.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Denise

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1969

    Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1969).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls

Mary

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #67 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #518 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls