Arlene vs Sheelagh
Arlene and Sheelaghcompared 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 1987, Arlene was ranked #181 and Sheelagh #446 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Arlene and Sheelagh over time
Arlene and Sheelagh appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Arlene held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sheelagh 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.
Sheelagh 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.
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 Sheelagh changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1965 and 1987, ending at #181 and #446.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 1965–1987
Arlene held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Sheelagh in 5.
Highest recorded here: Arlene #181 in 1987, Sheelagh #243 in 1970.
The order changed in 1974: Arlene moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #331 and #305; by 1974 that had become #271 and #340.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Arlene #181, Sheelagh #446.
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 | Sheelagh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #446 (1987) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 68/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Arlene has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sheelagh.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Sheelagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #245 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–1987
Highest recorded position: #243 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–1987).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent1987
Most recently recorded at #446 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1987.
Republic of Ireland · Girls