Malin vs Sterling
Malin and Sterlingcompared 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 · Boys
In 2019, Malin was ranked #2728 and Sterling #1369 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Malin was ranked #3961 and Sterling #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Malin and Sterling over time
Malin and Sterling appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Sterling held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Malin 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.
Malin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sterling 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 · Boys10 shared years, 2003–2019
Malin held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sterling in 8.
Highest recorded here: Malin #2189 in 2003, Sterling #1369 in 2019.
The order changed in 2007: Sterling moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #3385 and #4052; by 2007 that had become #4333 and #1885.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Malin #2728, Sterling #1369.
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 | Malin | Sterling |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| 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 | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #167 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1595 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Malin and Sterling both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Malin
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #530 among girls in Norway in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1998 (recorded 1966–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #167 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sterling
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2337 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1104 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1595 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys