Alison vs Arlene
Alison and Arlenecompared 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 2023, Alison was ranked #226 and Arlene #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alison was ranked #1603 and Arlene #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Arlene over time
Alison and Arlene appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Arlene in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Arlene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alison 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.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Alison and Arlene were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 37 years, from 1965 to 2023, ending at #226 and #856.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 1965–2023
Alison held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Arlene in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Arlene #157 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alison #226, Arlene #856.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2024
Alison held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Arlene in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #268 in 1997, Arlene #3824 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alison #1603, Arlene #5891.
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 | Alison | Arlene |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison and Arlene both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Alison
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #76 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 recorded1952–1996
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1979 (recorded 1952–1996).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Arlene
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #262 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2023
Highest recorded position: #157 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1984 (recorded 1965–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls