Deirdre vs Marlene
Deirdre and Marlenecompared 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 2014, Deirdre was ranked #876 and Marlene #876 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1999, Deirdre was ranked #3900 and Marlene #2189 among girls in England and Wales.
Deirdre and Marlene over time
Deirdre and Marlene appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Deirdre held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Marlene in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Marlene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Deirdre 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
Republic of Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1967–2014
Deirdre held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Marlene in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deirdre #7 in 1977, Marlene #326 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Deirdre #876, Marlene #876.
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 | Deirdre | Marlene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #871 (2019) | Norway · Girls #516 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deirdre has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Marlene.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Deirdre
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #14 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 recorded1964–2019
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2019.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Marlene
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #519 among girls in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #91 among girls in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1967–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #516 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls