Donna vs Meadbh
Donna and Meadbhcompared 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 1998, Donna was ranked #351 and Meadbh #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Donna was ranked #876 and Meadbh #661 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Donna and Meadbh over time
Donna and Meadbh appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Donna held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meadbh 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.
Donna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Meadbh 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 Meadbh changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1998 and 2014, ending at #876 and #661.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Donna #148 in 1998, Meadbh #202 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1998–2014
Donna held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Meadbh in 4.
Highest recorded here: Donna #148 in 1998, Meadbh #202 in 2000.
The order changed in 2013: Meadbh moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #510 and #907; by 2013 that had become #894 and #660.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Donna #876, Meadbh #661.
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 | Meadbh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #871 (2019) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Donna has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Meadbh.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Meadbh
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #351 among girls in Northern Ireland in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2019
Highest recorded position: #202 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1998–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2019.
Republic of Ireland · Girls