Namewise

Dervla vs Francesca

Dervla and Francescacompared 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.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2016, Dervla was ranked #5785 and Francesca #88 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2012, Dervla was ranked #383 and Francesca #383 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2017, Dervla was ranked #651 and Francesca #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Dervla and Francesca over time

Dervla and Francesca appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Francesca held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dervla in 0.

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

Dervla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Francesca 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

    Dervla and Francesca changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2012, ending at #383 and #383.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Dervla and Francesca were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 39 years, from 1976 to 2017, ending at #651 and #651.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Dervla #1666 in 1997, Francesca #56 in 1999.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 19762017

    Dervla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Francesca in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Dervla #235 in 1996, Francesca #238 in 2001.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Dervla #651, Francesca #651.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 19972012

    Dervla held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Francesca in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Dervla #161 in 1997, Francesca #155 in 1998.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2012: Dervla #383, Francesca #383.

  • England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 19962016

    Dervla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Francesca in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Dervla #1666 in 1997, Francesca #56 in 1999.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2016: Dervla #5785, Francesca #88.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Dervla, Francesca
FieldDervlaFrancesca
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 recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IEGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #651 (2017)Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10070/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Dervla has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Francesca.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Dervla

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1966

    First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1997–2012

    Highest recorded position: #161 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2012).

    Northern Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2017

    Most recently recorded at #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

Francesca

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1972

    First recorded at #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1972 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #53 among girls in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls