Arlene vs Cheryl

Arlene and Cherylcompared 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 1998, Arlene was ranked #380 and Cheryl #498 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Arlene was ranked #5891 and Cheryl #5891 among girls in England and Wales.

Arlene and Cheryl over time

Arlene and Cheryl appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

Arlene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cheryl 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
Arlene and Cheryl changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1965 and 1998, ending at #380 and #498.
Longest-running competitions
Arlene and Cheryl were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 30 years, from 1965 to 1998, ending at #380 and #498.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls30 shared years, 1965–1998
Arlene held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Cheryl in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arlene #157 in 1984, Cheryl #179 in 1989.
The order changed in 1995: Arlene moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #309 and #255; by 1995 that had become #261 and #451.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Arlene #380, Cheryl #498.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2024
Arlene held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cheryl in 6.
Highest recorded here: Arlene #3824 in 1997, Cheryl #926 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlene #5891, Cheryl #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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Cheryl

Pairs where Cheryl shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Christine vs Cheryl
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Christine #1 in 1952, Cheryl #11 in 1952.
Christine · Cheryl · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1952 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Susan vs Cheryl
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Susan #1 in 1954, Cheryl #11 in 1952.
Susan · Cheryl · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1954 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Kerry vs Cheryl
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Kerry and Cheryl averaged 5.1 places apart, ending at #79 and #94.
Kerry · Cheryl · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1972 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Anne vs Cheryl
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Anne and Cheryl averaged 6.5 places apart, ending at #75 and #94.
Anne · Cheryl · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1972 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Arlene, Cheryl
Field	Arlene	Cheryl
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	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024)	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)	60/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Arlene has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cheryl.
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 recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Cheryl

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #11 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 recorded1952–1972
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls