Namewise

Donna vs Shauna

Donna and Shaunacompared 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 Shauna #95 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Donna was ranked #736 and Shauna #631 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Shauna #4192 among girls in England and Wales.

Donna and Shauna over time

Donna and Shauna appear together in 2 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Shauna held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Donna 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 Shauna 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 took the other's place near the top

    In Republic of Ireland · Girls, Shauna moved into the top 50 at #30 in 1990 as Donna fell out of it to #63, having been #49 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1990, Shauna moved ahead of Donna in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #49 and #101 the year before became #63 and #30.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Donna and Shauna were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 52 years, from 1966 to 2024, ending at #736 and #631.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1966–2024

    Donna held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Shauna in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Shauna #6 in 1993.

    The order changed in 1990: Shauna moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #49 and #101; by 1990 that had become #63 and #30.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Shauna #631.

  • England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024

    Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shauna in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Shauna #115 in 2000.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Shauna #4192.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Donna

Pairs where Donna shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Shauna

Pairs where Shauna shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Republic of Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Republic of Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Donna, Shauna
FieldDonnaShauna
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024)Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Donna and Shauna both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Donna

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1953–1982

    Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls

Shauna

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1966

    First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1966–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1966–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls