Donna vs Ethel

Donna and Ethelcompared 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.

Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #736 and Ethel #412 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Ethel #980 among girls in England and Wales.

Donna and Ethel over time

Donna and Ethel appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

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.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1964–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ethel in 1.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Ethel #217 in 1969.
The order changed in 2020: Ethel moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #750 and #862; by 2020 that had become #834 and #834.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Ethel #412.
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2000–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Ethel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Donna #804 in 2000, Ethel #980 in 2024.
The order changed in 2012: Ethel moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #2432 and #3185; by 2012 that had become #4171 and #2969.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Ethel #980.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Donna

Pairs where Donna shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Donna vs Denise
Donna and Denise changed places 16 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2020, ending at #834 and #834.
Donna · Denise · 52 shared years, 1964–2020 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2020 Republic of Ireland ranking
Donna vs Lorraine
Donna and Lorraine changed places 14 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2013, ending at #894 and #894.
Donna · Lorraine · 48 shared years, 1964–2013 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2013 Republic of Ireland ranking
Donna vs Stacey
Donna and Stacey changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1977 and 2024, ending at #736 and #898.
Donna · Stacey · 37 shared years, 1977–2024 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2024 Republic of Ireland ranking
Karen vs Donna
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Karen #1 in 1963, Donna #5 in 1964.
Karen · Donna · 30 shared years, 1953–1982 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1964 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Donna, Ethel
Field	Donna	Ethel
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, IE
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #412 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	60/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Donna and Ethel both have 2 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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

Ethel

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #222 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #217 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #980 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls