Donna vs Meghan
Donna and Meghancompared 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 Meghan #238 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Donna was ranked #764 and Meghan #586 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Meghan #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Meghan over time
Donna and Meghan 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 Meghan 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 Meghan changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1985 and 2021, ending at #764 and #586.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Meghan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1985 to 2021, ending at #764 and #586.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Donna #441 in 1996, Meghan #237 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1985–2021
Donna held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Meghan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Donna #38 in 1985, Meghan #150 in 1994.
The order changed in 2006: Meghan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #277 and #320; by 2006 that had become #431 and #286.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Donna #764, Meghan #586.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Meghan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Meghan #237 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Meghan #2000.
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 | Meghan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (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 Meghan 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
Meghan
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #519 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2020
Highest recorded position: #119 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2020).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls