Namewise

Ashley vs Marilyn

Ashley and Marilyncompared 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, Ashley was ranked #404 and Marilyn #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Ashley was ranked #1406 and Marilyn #1541 among girls in England and Wales.

Ashley and Marilyn over time

Ashley and Marilyn appear together in 2 published lists, across 46 years of shared records. Ashley held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Marilyn in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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

    Ashley and Marilyn changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1969 and 2023, ending at #404 and #856.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 19962024

    Ashley held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Marilyn in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Ashley #152 in 1996, Marilyn #1541 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #1406, Marilyn #1541.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 19692023

    Ashley held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Marilyn in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Ashley #128 in 1995, Marilyn #326 in 1971.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Ashley #404, Marilyn #856.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Ashley, Marilyn
FieldAshleyMarilyn
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usageUsed for both boys and girlsfemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #1541 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Ashley has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Marilyn.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Ashley

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #372 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

  2. Highest recorded1985–2011

    Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1985–2011).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

Marilyn

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #28 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1956

    Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1956).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #1541 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls