Donna vs Jessie
Donna and Jessiecompared 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 Jessie #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Jessie #351 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Donna was ranked #372 and Jessie #372 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Donna and Jessie over time
Donna and Jessie appear together in 2 published lists, across 61 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.
Donna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jessie 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.
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 Jessie changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1975 and 2024, ending at #736 and #294.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Jessie were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1975 to 2024, ending at #736 and #294.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1975–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Jessie in 13.
Highest recorded here: Donna #36 in 1983, Jessie #229 in 2002.
The order changed in 2008: Jessie moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #468 and #505; by 2008 that had become #750 and #501.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Jessie #294.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessie in 29.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Jessie #168 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Jessie #351.
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 | Jessie |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (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 Jessie both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
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
Jessie
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #503 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1987–2006
Highest recorded position: #46 among girls in New Zealand, in 1990 (recorded 1987–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls