Barbara vs Marlen
Barbara and Marlencompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2015, Barbara was ranked #543 and Marlen #531 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2014, Barbara was ranked #1299 and Marlen #5691 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Marlen over time
Barbara and Marlen appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Barbara held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Marlen 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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Marlen 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1990, Marlen moved ahead of Barbara in Norway · Girls — #258 and #271 the year before became #434 and #193.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Marlen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 31 years, from 1963 to 2015, ending at #543 and #531.
List by list
Norway · Girls31 shared years, 1963–2015
Barbara held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Marlen in 12.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #167 in 1983, Marlen #193 in 1990.
The order changed in 1990: Marlen moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #258 and #271; by 1990 that had become #434 and #193.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Barbara #543, Marlen #531.
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 | Barbara | Marlen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Norway · Girls #454 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Marlen.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Marlen
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #472 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1963–2022
Highest recorded position: #193 among girls in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1963–2022).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #454 among girls in Norway, in 2022.
Norway · Girls