Dervla

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Dervla: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Dervla: Recorded since 1966, it reached #161 in 1997, and it was last ranked in 2017.

3registrars recorded it
74times a registrar ranked it
52years from first to last
#161highest recorded position
11groupings it qualifies for

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2016

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#2683
1997	#1666
1999	#3225
2000	#2416
2001	#3998
2003	#4373
2004	#4598
2005	#3970
2008	#4524
2013	#5742
2016	#5785

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 49 of the 52 years from 1966 to 2017.

In 2016: #868 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #5785 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 3 national registrars across 3 regions, 1966–2017 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

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
Highest recorded1997–2012
Highest recorded position: #161 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2012).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

Dervla appears in 3 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Girls, which has ranked it in 49 years beginning in 1966, and has registered 345 births with the name.

Dervla across 3 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Dervla's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#380 (1966)	#235 (1996)	#651 (2017)	49 of 52	345 (1966–2017)	16 (1996)
England and Wales · Girls	#2683 (1996)	#1666 (1997)	#5785 (2016)	11 of 21	48 (1996–2016)	10 (1997)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#161 (1997)	#161 (1997)	#383 (2012)	14 of 16	83 (1997–2012)	12 (1997)

Dervla by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Dervla in Republic of Ireland · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	12	3 of 10	4
1970s	62	9 of 10	7
1980s	78	10 of 10	8
1990sbusiest	85	10 of 10	9
2000s	74	10 of 10	7
2010s	34	7 of 10	5

Across Republic of Ireland · Girls, the 1990s were its busiest decade, averaging 9 births a year.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Dervla appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 3 regions, from 1966 to 2017. Highest recorded position: #161 in Northern Ireland in 1997.

Dervla's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2016	England and Wales	female	#5785	3	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#5742	3	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#4524	4	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#3970	4	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#4598	3	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#4373	3	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#3998	3	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#2416	6	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#3225	4	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#1666	10	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#2683	5	High	Verified
2012	Northern Ireland	female	#383	4	High	Verified
2010	Northern Ireland	female	#430	3	High	Verified
2009	Northern Ireland	female	#364	4	High	Verified
2007	Northern Ireland	female	#413	3	High	Verified
2006	Northern Ireland	female	#332	4	High	Verified
2005	Northern Ireland	female	#377	3	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	female	#238	6	High	Verified
2003	Northern Ireland	female	#185	8	High	Verified
2002	Northern Ireland	female	#286	4	High	Verified
2001	Northern Ireland	female	#191	8	High	Verified
2000	Northern Ireland	female	#248	5	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	female	#181	9	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	female	#174	10	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	female	#161	12	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	female	#651	5	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	female	#868	3	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	female	#660	5	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	female	#587	6	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	female	#510	8	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	female	#937	3	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	female	#758	4	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	female	#742	4	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	female	#750	4	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#705	4	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	female	#367	10	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	female	#461	6	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	female	#677	3	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	female	#294	11	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#331	9	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	female	#238	14	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	female	#303	9	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	female	#279	9	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	female	#293	8	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	female	#304	10	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	female	#235	16	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	female	#516	3	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	female	#297	10	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	female	#286	11	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	female	#417	5	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	female	#338	8	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	female	#409	5	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	female	#353	7	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	female	#344	8	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	female	#417	5	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#356	7	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	female	#267	13	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	female	#320	9	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	female	#365	7	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	female	#369	7	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	female	#351	8	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	female	#370	7	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	female	#303	12	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#331	9	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	female	#296	11	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	female	#360	6	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	female	#406	5	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	female	#428	4	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	female	#449	4	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	female	#349	6	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	female	#363	5	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	female	#393	4	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	female	#315	5	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	female	#380	3	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 3 registrars between 1966 and 2017, ranked in 49 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #161, first reached in 1997.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 16 births, registered in Republic of Ireland in 1996.

Its record falls into 4 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 1 year.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 31 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Derval · #236, 23y
Dervilla · #202, 18y
Derya · #2407, 20y
Deryn · #896, 26y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 3 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Phelim · #164, 47y
Ruaidhri · #157, 51y
Benedict · #155, 51y
Ernest · #167, 48y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Doreen · #161, 48y
Marguerite · #161, 58y
Carole · #162, 35y
Edwina · #162, 53y

Dervla was ranked #161 in Northern Ireland · Girls in 1997. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Dervla and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Dervla without appearing here.

Dervla moved ahead of

Debra Compare
In 2007 they stood at #4373 and #3099 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #4524 and #5545.
Gail Compare
In 2007 they stood at #4598 and #4598 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #4524 and #5545.
Therese Compare
In 2007 they stood at #3970 and #2084 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #4524 and #5545.
Mona Compare
In 2005 they stood at #677 and #677 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2006 that had become #367 and #764.

Moved ahead of Dervla

Shea Compare
In 2000 they stood at #2416 and #2746 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2001 that had become #3998 and #1728.
Frida Compare
In 2002 they stood at #2416 and #3912 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2003 that had become #4373 and #2727.
Liv Compare
In 2002 they stood at #2416 and #3912 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2003 that had become #4373 and #2727.
Logan Compare
In 1998 they stood at #1666 and #2738 in England and Wales · Girls; by 1999 that had become #3225 and #1970.

Moved the opposite way to Dervla

Alexandra Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 while Alexandra went from #288 to #111.
Alice Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 while Alice went from #73 to #35.
Anna Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 while Anna went from #36 to #12.
Caoimhe Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 while Caoimhe went from #380 to #23.

Moved the same way as Dervla

Alma Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 and Alma from #310 to #579.
Audrey Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 and Audrey from #63 to #471.
Barbara Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 and Barbara from #48 to #734.
Camilla Compare
Between 1966 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Dervla went from #380 to #651 and Camilla from #236 to #651.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 3 regions, from 1966 to 2017. Highest recorded position: #161 in Northern Ireland in 1997. Source data last verified 2026-07-22.

Dervla

Dervla at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Dervla across 3 official records

Dervla by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Dervla appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Dervla

Dervla and the names beside it

Dervla moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Dervla

Moved the opposite way to Dervla

Moved the same way as Dervla

Dervla at a glance

Dervla across 3 official records

Dervla by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Dervla appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Dervla

Dervla and the names beside it

Dervla moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Dervla

Moved the opposite way to Dervla

Moved the same way as Dervla