Donna vs Muireann
Donna and Muireanncompared 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 Muireann #171 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2017, Donna was ranked #4063 and Muireann #4763 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Muireann over time
Donna and Muireann appear together in 1 published list, across 53 years of shared records. Donna held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Muireann 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 Muireann 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Muireann moved ahead of Donna in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #132 and #137 the year before became #148 and #148.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Muireann were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 53 years, from 1965 to 2024, ending at #736 and #171.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1965–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Muireann in 19.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Muireann #91 in 2007.
The order changed in 1998: Muireann moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #132 and #137; by 1998 that had become #148 and #148.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Muireann #171.
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 | Muireann |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #196 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Donna and Muireann 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
Muireann
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #297 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #87 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2011 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #196 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls