Dervla vs Shea
Dervla and Sheacompared 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 Shea #3609 among girls in England and Wales.
Dervla and Shea over time
Dervla and Shea appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Shea held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dervla in 0.
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.
Dervla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Shea 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1996–2016
Dervla held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Shea in 8.
Highest recorded here: Dervla #1666 in 1997, Shea #1728 in 2001.
The order changed in 2001: Shea moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2416 and #2746; by 2001 that had become #3998 and #1728.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Dervla #5785, Shea #3609.
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 | Dervla | Shea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈʃeɪ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Sé, Séaghdha, Shay |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #651 (2017) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Dervla does not have one recorded yet.
- Dervla has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Dervla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Dervla a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shea a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Dervla
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1997–2012
Highest recorded position: #161 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2012).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Shea
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys