Diane vs Janice
Diane and Janicecompared 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 1964, Diane was ranked #32 and Janice #91 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1963, Diane was ranked #45 and Janice #94 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Diane was ranked #241 and Janice #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2009, Diane was ranked #742 and Janice #742 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Diane was ranked #2411 and Janice #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Diane and Janice over time
Diane and Janice appear together in 4 published lists, across 87 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.
Janice 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Diane and Janice changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2411 and #2771.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 36 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Diane and Janice averaged 32.8 places apart, ending at #742 and #742.
- Longest-running competitions
Diane and Janice were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1964 to 2009, ending at #742 and #742.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Diane #983 in 1997, Janice #1364 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1964–2009
Diane held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Janice in 20.
Highest recorded here: Diane #126 in 1983, Janice #117 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Diane #742, Janice #742.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Diane held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Janice in 17.
Highest recorded here: Diane #983 in 1997, Janice #1364 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Diane moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2504 and #1959; by 2024 that had become #2411 and #2771.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Diane #2411, Janice #2771.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls11 shared years, 1952–1963
Diane held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Janice in 0.
Highest recorded here: Diane #17 in 1953, Janice #31 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1963: Diane #45, Janice #94.
New Zealand · Girls11 shared years, 1954–1964
Diane held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Janice in 0.
Highest recorded here: Diane #16 in 1954, Janice #22 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1964: Diane #32, Janice #91.
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 | Janice |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2411 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #2771 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Diane has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Janice.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Janice
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #32 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 recorded1954–1964
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1964).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls