Abigail vs Marissa
Abigail and Marissacompared 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 2011, Abigail was ranked #39 and Marissa #444 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Abigail was ranked #75 and Marissa #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Marissa #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Abigail and Marissa over time
Abigail and Marissa appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Marissa 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 31 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Abigail rose about as far as Marissa fell — from #428 and #428 in 1974 to #75 and #896 in 2018.
- Longest-running competitions
Abigail and Marissa were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 31 years, from 1974 to 2018, ending at #75 and #896.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1974–2018
Abigail held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Marissa in 1.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Marissa #353 in 1989.
The order changed in 1984: Abigail moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #476 and #401; by 1984 that had become #459 and #516.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Abigail #75, Marissa #896.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Marissa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Marissa #467 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Marissa #3695.
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 | Abigail | Marissa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail and Marissa both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Marissa
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #428 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2011
Highest recorded position: #294 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 2004–2011).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls