Donna vs Maria
Donna and Mariacompared 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 2004, Donna was ranked #372 and Maria #68 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1982, Donna was ranked #79 and Maria #69 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #736 and Maria #73 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Donna was ranked #90 and Maria #76 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Maria #91 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Maria over time
Donna and Maria appear together in 4 published lists, across 144 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Donna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Maria 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
Donna and Maria changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1953 and 1982, ending at #79 and #69.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Donna and Maria averaged 15.0 places apart, ending at #79 and #69.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Maria were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 30 years, from 1953 to 1982, ending at #79 and #69.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Donna #5 in 1964, Maria #13 in 1966.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Maria in 53.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Maria #23 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Maria #73.
New Zealand · Girls31 shared years, 1954–1984
Donna held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Maria in 11.
Highest recorded here: Donna #6 in 1965, Maria #21 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Donna #90, Maria #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls30 shared years, 1953–1982
Donna held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Maria in 10.
Highest recorded here: Donna #5 in 1964, Maria #13 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Donna #79, Maria #69.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maria in 29.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Maria #66 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Maria #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 | Donna | Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary). |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission |
| Pronunciation | /mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ/ | |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Norway · Girls #62 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maria has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission); Donna does not have one recorded yet.
- Donna and Maria both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Maria; Donna doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Maria
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #126 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls