Namewise

Alanah vs Marilyn

Alanah and Marilyncompared 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 2017, Alanah was ranked #873 and Marilyn #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Alanah was ranked #2440 and Marilyn #1719 among girls in England and Wales.

Alanah and Marilyn over time

Alanah and Marilyn appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Alanah held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Marilyn 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.

Alanah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Marilyn in none. 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.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 19962025

    Alanah held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Marilyn in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Alanah #724 in 1998, Marilyn #1541 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2024: Marilyn moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1469 and #2063; by 2024 that had become #2574 and #1541.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alanah #2440, Marilyn #1719.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Alanah, Marilyn
FieldAlanahMarilyn
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables33
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IEAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #2440 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #1719 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Alanah and Marilyn both have 3 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Alanah

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1992

    First recorded at #523 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1992–2022

    Highest recorded position: #225 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1992–2022).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2440 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Marilyn

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #28 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1956

    Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1956).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1719 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls