Dora vs Joanna
Dora and Joannacompared 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 2021, Dora was ranked #883 and Joanna #336 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Dora was ranked #1065 and Joanna #488 among girls in England and Wales.
Dora and Joanna over time
Dora and Joanna appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Joanna held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dora 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dora held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joanna in 29.
Highest recorded here: Dora #952 in 2018, Joanna #125 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dora #1065, Joanna #488.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 1964–2021
Dora held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joanna in 17.
Highest recorded here: Dora #202 in 1965, Joanna #131 in 1977.
The order changed in 1966: Joanna moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #202 and #209; by 1966 that had become #288 and #218.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Dora #883, Joanna #336.
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 | Dora | Joanna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1065 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dora and Joanna both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Dora
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #222 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #202 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1065 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Joanna
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #432 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1968–1992
Highest recorded position: #29 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1968–1992).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #508 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls