Leanne vs Molly
Leanne and Mollycompared 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 2021, Leanne was ranked #883 and Molly #18 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Leanne was ranked #366 and Molly #24 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leanne was ranked #2115 and Molly #104 among girls in England and Wales.
Leanne and Molly over time
Leanne and Molly appear together in 3 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Molly held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Leanne 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.
Leanne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Molly 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 2000, Molly moved ahead of Leanne in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #52 and #63 the year before became #76 and #43.
- Longest-running competitions
Leanne and Molly were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1989 to 2021, ending at #883 and #18.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #93 and #89 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2010 they were #366 and #24.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1989–2021
Leanne held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Molly in 22.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #27 in 1991, Molly #18 in 2019.
The order changed in 2000: Molly moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #52 and #63; by 2000 that had become #76 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Leanne #883, Molly #18.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leanne held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Molly in 29.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #88 in 1996, Molly #15 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leanne #2115, Molly #104.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2010
Leanne held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Molly in 12.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #84 in 1998, Molly #18 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Leanne #366, Molly #24.
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 | Leanne | Molly |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #20 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Leanne and Molly both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Leanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1957–1986
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1968 (recorded 1957–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Molly
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #408 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2001 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #217 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls