Annie vs Arlene
Annie 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, Annie was ranked #48 and Arlene #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Annie was ranked #115 and Arlene #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Annie and Arlene over time
Annie and Arlene appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Annie 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 2 of those lists, and Annie 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Annie and Arlene changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1965 and 2023, ending at #48 and #856.
- Longest-running competitions
Annie and Arlene were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 37 years, from 1965 to 2023, ending at #48 and #856.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 1965–2023
Annie held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Arlene in 12.
Highest recorded here: Annie #48 in 2023, Arlene #157 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Annie #48, Arlene #856.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2024
Annie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Arlene in 0.
Highest recorded here: Annie #108 in 2016, Arlene #3824 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Annie #115, 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 | Annie | Arlene |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Anne, itself from the Hebrew root 'hanan' ('grace, favour') via Latin Anna. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | A diminutive of Anne, tracing to the Hebrew root 'hanan' via Latin Anna | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.i/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #33 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Annie has a recorded origin (A diminutive of Anne, tracing to the Hebrew root 'hanan' via Latin Anna); Arlene does not have one recorded yet.
- Annie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Arlene.
- A meaning is recorded for Annie; Arlene doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Annie
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #180 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #214 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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