Marilyn vs Marissa
Marilyn and Marissacompared 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 2018, Marilyn was ranked #629 and Marissa #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Marilyn was ranked #1541 and Marissa #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Marilyn and Marissa over time
Marilyn and Marissa appear together in 2 published lists, across 36 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Marilyn and Marissa changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1974 and 2018, ending at #629 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Marilyn #340 in 1974, Marissa #392 in 1976.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Marilyn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Marissa in 24.
Highest recorded here: Marilyn #1541 in 2024, Marissa #467 in 2008.
The order changed in 2024: Marilyn moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2063 and #1640; by 2024 that had become #1541 and #3695.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marilyn #1541, Marissa #3695.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1974–2018
Marilyn held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Marissa in 3.
Highest recorded here: Marilyn #340 in 1974, Marissa #392 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Marilyn #629, Marissa #896.
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 | Marilyn | Marissa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1541 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Marilyn and Marissa both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
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 recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1541 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Marissa
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #428 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 recorded2004–2011
Highest recorded position: #294 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 2004–2011).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls