Dorothy vs Rowena
Dorothy and Rowenacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Dorothy was ranked #193 and Rowena #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2011, Dorothy was ranked #695 and Rowena #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Dorothy and Rowena over time
Dorothy and Rowena appear together in 2 published lists, across 53 years of shared records. Dorothy held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rowena 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.
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
Dorothy and Rowena changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1968 and 2011, ending at #695 and #937.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dorothy held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Rowena in 5.
Highest recorded here: Dorothy #175 in 2020, Rowena #571 in 1997.
The order changed in 2002: Dorothy moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #1238 and #1107; by 2002 that had become #1104 and #1317.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dorothy #193, Rowena #4843.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1968–2011
Dorothy held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Rowena in 5.
Highest recorded here: Dorothy #160 in 1970, Rowena #245 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Dorothy #695, Rowena #937.
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 | Dorothy | Rowena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dorothy and Rowena both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Dorothy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #79 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 recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Rowena
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #357 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2011
Highest recorded position: #245 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1974 (recorded 1968–2011).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls