Jordan vs Marla
Jordan and Marlacompared 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 · Girls
In 2024, Jordan was ranked #2574 and Marla #516 among girls in England and Wales.
Jordan and Marla over time
Jordan and Marla appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Marla held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Jordan 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.
Jordan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Marla 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 · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Jordan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Marla in 14.
Highest recorded here: Jordan #72 in 1998, Marla #516 in 2024.
The order changed in 2010: Marla moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #1837 and #2019; by 2010 that had become #4012 and #1993.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jordan #2574, Marla #516.
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 | Jordan | Marla |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | From the Jordan River, from Hebrew Yarden ('descend, flow down'). Crusaders brought water from the river to baptize children in Europe after John the Baptist baptized Jesus there. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɔɹ.dən/ | 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-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #90 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #476 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jordan has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Marla does not have one recorded yet.
- Jordan and Marla both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jordan; Marla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Jordan
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #283 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Marla
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2350 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #516 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls