Arlo vs Michal
Arlo and Michalcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #15 and Michal #1162 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #18 and Michal #727 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Arlo was ranked #83 and Michal #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2018, Arlo was ranked #121 and Michal #365 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #1894 and Michal #2574 among girls in England and Wales.
Arlo and Michal over time
Arlo and Michal appear together in 3 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Arlo held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Michal in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Michal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Arlo 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
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Michal in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #14 in 2023, Michal #298 in 2011.
The order changed in 2009: Arlo moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #567 and #336; by 2009 that had become #311 and #330.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #15, Michal #1162.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2009–2022
Arlo held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Michal in 7.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #83 in 2022, Michal #149 in 2009.
The order changed in 2016: Arlo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #294 and #221; by 2016 that had become #232 and #263.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Arlo #83, Michal #509.
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 2015–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Michal in 2.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #1469 in 2023, Michal #2328 in 2015.
The order changed in 2020: Arlo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #3541 and #3151; by 2020 that had become #2843 and #5493.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #1894, Michal #2574.
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 | Arlo | Michal |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning uncertain — likely derived by Edmund Spenser from the real Irish place name Aherlow ('between two highlands') for the fictional Arlo Hill in The Faerie Queene (1590). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹ.loʊ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #47 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Arlo has a recorded origin (Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation)); Michal does not have one recorded yet.
- Arlo and Michal both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arlo; Michal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Arlo
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2943 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2013–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Michal
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #424 among boys in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2021
Highest recorded position: #58 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1955–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2574 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls