Donna vs Sharon
Donna and Sharoncompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1981, Donna was ranked #66 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1982, Donna was ranked #79 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Donna was ranked #259 and Sharon #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Donna was ranked #834 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Sharon over time
Donna and Sharon appear together in 4 published lists, across 139 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Donna in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Donna 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1979, Donna moved ahead of Sharon in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #48 and #45 the year before became #57 and #67.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Donna and Sharon changed places 9 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1981, ending at #66 and #78.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Donna and Sharon averaged 14.2 places apart, ending at #79 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Donna and Sharon were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 30 years, from 1953 to 1982, ending at #79 and #88.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Donna #441 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1964–2020
Donna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sharon in 44.
Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Donna #834, Sharon #834.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls30 shared years, 1953–1982
Donna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sharon in 25.
Highest recorded here: Donna #5 in 1964, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1979: Donna moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #48 and #45; by 1979 that had become #57 and #67.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Donna #79, Sharon #88.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sharon in 27.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Sharon moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #551 and #565; by 1998 that had become #607 and #597.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Sharon #2000.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981
Donna held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sharon in 12.
Highest recorded here: Donna #6 in 1965, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1980: Donna moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #63 and #49; by 1980 that had become #60 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Donna #66, Sharon #78.
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 | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ | |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Donna does not have one recorded yet.
- Donna and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Donna doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Sharon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls