Fionnula vs Marilyn
Fionnula 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 1980, Fionnula was ranked #542 and Marilyn #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1996, Fionnula was ranked #3795 and Marilyn #2683 among girls in England and Wales.
Fionnula and Marilyn over time
Fionnula and Marilyn appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Marilyn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Fionnula 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.
Marilyn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Fionnula 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Fionnula #349 in 1973, Marilyn #326 in 1971.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1969–1980
Fionnula held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Marilyn in 8.
Highest recorded here: Fionnula #349 in 1973, Marilyn #326 in 1971.
The order changed in 1974: Marilyn moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #349 and #402; by 1974 that had become #490 and #340.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Fionnula #542, Marilyn #483.
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 | Fionnula | Marilyn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3795 (1996) | England and Wales · Girls #1541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fionnula and Marilyn both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Fionnula
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #257 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 recorded1964–1980
Highest recorded position: #218 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–1980).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent1980
Most recently recorded at #542 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1980.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Marilyn
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1952–1956
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1956).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1541 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls