Rachel vs Rebecca
Rachel and Rebeccacompared 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 2006, Rachel was ranked #98 and Rebecca #50 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2007, Rachel was ranked #71 and Rebecca #82 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Rachel was ranked #142 and Rebecca #91 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Rachel was ranked #186 and Rebecca #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Rachel was ranked #394 and Rebecca #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Rachel was ranked #451 and Rebecca #426 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Rachel was ranked #431 and Rebecca #431 among girls in Scotland.
Rachel and Rebecca over time
Rachel and Rebecca appear together in 6 published lists, across 252 years of shared records. Rebecca held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Rachel in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rebecca reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Rachel in 2. 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 2006, Rachel moved ahead of Rebecca in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #88 and #70 the year before became #81 and #98.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Rachel and Rebecca changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2023, ending at #142 and #91.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 40 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Rachel and Rebecca averaged 14.6 places apart, ending at #71 and #82.
- Longest-running competitions
Rachel and Rebecca were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #394 and #413.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Rachel #27 in 1996, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Rachel held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Rebecca in 11.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #6 in 1997, Rebecca #7 in 1995.
The order changed in 2024: Rebecca moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #148 and #183; by 2024 that had become #189 and #156.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rachel #186, Rebecca #141.
Norway · Girls52 shared years, 1961–2023
Rachel held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Rebecca in 42.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #214 in 1973, Rebecca #55 in 1996.
The order changed in 1980: Rebecca moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #290 and #328; by 1980 that had become #329 and #195.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Rachel #451, Rebecca #426.
New Zealand · Girls41 shared years, 1966–2006
Rachel held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Rebecca in 32.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #3 in 1971, Rebecca #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 1975: Rebecca moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #5 and #7; by 1975 that had become #7 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Rachel #98, Rebecca #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls40 shared years, 1968–2007
Rachel held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Rebecca in 36.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #10 in 1991, Rebecca #1 in 1976.
The order changed in 2006: Rachel moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #88 and #70; by 2006 that had become #81 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Rachel #71, Rebecca #82.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Rachel held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Rebecca in 29.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #27 in 1996, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
The order changed in 2025: Rachel moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #377 and #315; by 2025 that had become #394 and #413.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rachel #394, Rebecca #413.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Rachel held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Rebecca in 21.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #7 in 2003, Rebecca #2 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Rachel #142, Rebecca #91.
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 | Rachel | Rebecca |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. | Traditionally associated with concepts of 'joining', 'tying', or a 'team/yoke' — a binding or connecting sense, from a Semitic root about fastening things together. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka |
| Pronunciation | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ | /rəˈbɛkə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rachel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel origin, while Rebecca is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka origin.
- Rachel has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Rebecca.
- Rachel's recorded meaning differs from Rebecca's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Rachel
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #394 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Rebecca
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #440 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2008
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1966–2008).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls