Diane vs Gillian
Diane and Gilliancompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1967, Diane was ranked #37 and Gillian #88 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Diane was ranked #229 and Gillian #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Diane was ranked #727 and Gillian #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Diane was ranked #2411 and Gillian #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Diane and Gillian over time
Diane and Gillian appear together in 3 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Diane held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gillian in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Gillian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Diane in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Diane and Gillian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #727 and #856.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Diane #983 in 1997, Gillian #703 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2023
Diane held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Gillian in 43.
Highest recorded here: Diane #126 in 1983, Gillian #27 in 1977.
The order changed in 2023: Diane moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #663 and #663; by 2023 that had become #727 and #856.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Diane #727, Gillian #856.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Diane held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Gillian in 9.
Highest recorded here: Diane #983 in 1997, Gillian #703 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Diane moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #2509 and #2320; by 2007 that had become #2627 and #4294.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Diane #2411, Gillian #3695.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 1954–1967
Diane held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Gillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Diane #16 in 1954, Gillian #60 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1967: Diane #37, Gillian #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
| Field | Diane | Gillian |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2411 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Diane and Gillian both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Diane
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #21 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 recorded1954–1973
Highest recorded position: #16 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1973).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2411 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Gillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #64 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #27 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1977 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls