Malene vs Rachel
Malene and Rachelcompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Malene was ranked #285 and Rachel #472 among girls in Norway.
Malene and Rachel over time
Malene and Rachel appear together in 1 published list, across 43 years of shared records. Malene held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rachel 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.
Rachel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Malene 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 1987, Malene moved ahead of Rachel in Norway · Girls — #335 and #283 the year before became #78 and #464.
- Longest-running competitions
Malene and Rachel were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 43 years, from 1969 to 2024, ending at #285 and #472.
List by list
Norway · Girls43 shared years, 1969–2024
Malene held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Rachel in 10.
Highest recorded here: Malene #66 in 1999, Rachel #246 in 1984.
The order changed in 1987: Malene moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #335 and #283; by 1987 that had become #78 and #464.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Malene #285, Rachel #472.
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 | Malene | Rachel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #328 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rachel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel); Malene does not have one recorded yet.
- Malene has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rachel.
- A meaning is recorded for Rachel; Malene doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Malene
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #380 among girls in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1948–2025
Highest recorded position: #66 among girls in Norway, in 1999 (recorded 1948–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #328 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Rachel
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #186 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls