Donna vs Paula
Donna and Paulacompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1976, Donna was ranked #45 and Paula #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Donna was ranked #90 and Paula #93 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Donna was ranked #372 and Paula #372 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #736 and Paula #736 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Paula over time
Donna and Paula appear together in 4 published lists, across 126 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, Paula 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 Paula changed places 8 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1984, ending at #90 and #93.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Donna and Paula averaged 20.9 places apart, ending at #90 and #93.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Paula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 53 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #736 and #736.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Donna #441 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1964–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Paula in 28.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Paula #15 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Paula #736.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Paula in 24.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 2001: Paula moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #804 and #1095; by 2001 that had become #1063 and #765.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Paula #1491.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1954–1984
Donna held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Paula in 6.
Highest recorded here: Donna #6 in 1965, Paula #15 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Donna #90, Paula #93.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 1953–1976
Donna held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Paula in 0.
Highest recorded here: Donna #5 in 1964, Paula #62 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1976: Donna #45, Paula #98.
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 | Paula |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Donna and Paula 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
Paula
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #264 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1984
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #521 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls