Denise vs Ursula
Denise and Ursulacompared 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 Ursula #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Denise was ranked #612 and Ursula #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Denise was ranked #4843 and Ursula #2574 among girls in England and Wales.
Denise and Ursula over time
Denise and Ursula appear together in 2 published lists, across 69 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.
Ursula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 Ursula changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #4843 and #2574.
- Longest-running competitions
Denise and Ursula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 40 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #612 and #907.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Denise #664 in 1998, Ursula #983 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1964–2012
Denise held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Ursula in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denise #31 in 1981, Ursula #98 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Denise #612, Ursula #907.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denise held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ursula in 18.
Highest recorded here: Denise #664 in 1998, Ursula #983 in 1997.
The order changed in 2020: Ursula moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #2040 and #2458; by 2020 that had become #4535 and #2300.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denise #4843, Ursula #2574.
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 | Ursula |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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 #2574 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denise and Ursula both have 3 syllables.
- 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
Ursula
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #98 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 recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #98 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2574 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls