Donna vs Riona
Donna and Rionacompared 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 Riona #273 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Donna was ranked #764 and Riona #764 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Riona #2574 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Riona over time
Donna and Riona appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Donna held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Riona 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 2 of those lists, and Riona 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 Riona changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #5891 and #2574.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Riona were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 39 years, from 1976 to 2021, ending at #764 and #764.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 1976–2021
Donna held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Riona in 13.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Riona #169 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Donna #764, Riona #764.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Riona in 14.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Riona #1393 in 1999.
The order changed in 2018: Riona moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #4063 and #5765; by 2018 that had become #3518 and #3178.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Riona #2574.
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 | Riona |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #413 (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 Riona 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
Riona
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #392 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–2025
Highest recorded position: #169 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 1976–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls