Lana vs Marilyn
Lana 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Lana was ranked #123 and Marilyn #426 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Lana was ranked #173 and Marilyn #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Lana was ranked #253 and Marilyn #1719 among girls in England and Wales.
Lana and Marilyn over time
Lana and Marilyn appear together in 2 published lists, across 35 years of shared records. Lana held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Marilyn 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Lana #205 in 2023, Marilyn #1541 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2025
Lana held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Marilyn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lana #205 in 2023, Marilyn #1541 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lana #253, Marilyn #1719.
Republic of Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1974–2023
Lana held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Marilyn in 3.
Highest recorded here: Lana #173 in 2023, Marilyn #340 in 1974.
The order changed in 2015: Lana moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #516 and #516; by 2015 that had become #199 and #896.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lana #173, 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
| Field | Lana | 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 | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #207 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1719 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lana has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Marilyn.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Lana
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #114 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #253 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1719 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls