Donna vs Eileen
Donna and Eileencompared 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 1999, Donna was ranked #259 and Eileen #344 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #736 and Eileen #372 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Eileen #855 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Eileen over time
Donna and Eileen appear together in 2 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Eileen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Donna 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Donna and Eileen changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #5891 and #855.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Eileen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #736 and #372.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Eileen in 28.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Eileen #17 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Eileen #372.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Eileen in 19.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Eileen #855 in 2024.
The order changed in 2007: Eileen moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #1435 and #1585; by 2007 that had become #1854 and #1656.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Eileen #855.
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 | Donna | Eileen |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) |
| 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
- Donna and Eileen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Donna
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Eileen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls