Mara vs Rowan
Mara and Rowancompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Mara was ranked #102 and Rowan #100 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Mara was ranked #325 and Rowan #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Mara was ranked #337 and Rowan #288 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Mara was ranked #369 and Rowan #425 among girls in England and Wales.
Mara and Rowan over time
Mara and Rowan appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mara and Rowan changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2004 and 2025, ending at #325 and #266.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Mara #223 in 2024, Rowan #266 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mara held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Rowan in 27.
Highest recorded here: Mara #369 in 2024, Rowan #417 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Mara moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #516 and #471; by 2024 that had become #369 and #425.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mara #369, Rowan #425.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 2004–2025
Mara held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Rowan in 5.
Highest recorded here: Mara #223 in 2024, Rowan #266 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Rowan moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #223 and #504; by 2025 that had become #325 and #266.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mara #325, Rowan #266.
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 | Mara | Rowan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'little red one', and independently used in English for the rowan tree. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈroʊən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Rowen, Ruadhán |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #76 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Rowan has a recorded origin (Irish); Mara does not have one recorded yet.
- Mara and Rowan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Rowan; Mara doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Mara a "medium" Data Confidence level and Rowan a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Mara
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1434 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Rowan
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #256 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #41 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls