Arlene vs Blanaid
Arlene and Blanaidcompared 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 1999, Arlene was ranked #439 and Blanaid #439 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Arlene and Blanaid over time
Arlene and Blanaid appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Arlene held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Blanaid in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Blanaid reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Arlene 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
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1965–1999
Arlene held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Blanaid in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arlene #239 in 1980, Blanaid #262 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Arlene #439, Blanaid #439.
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 | Arlene | Blanaid |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5927 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #413 (2007) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Arlene has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Blanaid.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Blanaid
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 recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #262 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1965–2006).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2007
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007.
Northern Ireland · Girls