Marilyn vs May

Marilyn and Maycompared 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 2023, Marilyn was ranked #856 and May #262 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Marilyn was ranked #426 and May #426 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Marilyn was ranked #1541 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.

Marilyn and May over time

Marilyn and May appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. May held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Marilyn 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.

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.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Marilyn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, May in 26.
Highest recorded here: Marilyn #1541 in 2024, May #325 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marilyn #1541, May #610.
Republic of Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1971–2023
Marilyn held the stronger position in 3 of those years, May in 4.
Highest recorded here: Marilyn #326 in 1971, May #262 in 2023.
The order changed in 1982: May moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #483 and #542; by 1982 that had become #523 and #523.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Marilyn #856, May #262.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving May

Pairs where May shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Anna vs May
In 1945 they stood at #38 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #23 and #481.
Anna · May · 80 shared years, 1945–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Elisabeth vs May
In 1945 they stood at #50 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #171 and #481.
Elisabeth · May · 80 shared years, 1945–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Gunn vs May
In 1945 they stood at #53 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2005 they were #546 and #244.
Gunn · May · 60 shared years, 1945–2005 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2005 Norway ranking
Laila vs May
Laila and May changed places 18 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #408 and #481.
Laila · May · 79 shared years, 1945–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Marilyn, May
Field	Marilyn	May
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	3	1
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, NO
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #1541 (2024)	Norway · Girls #481 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Marilyn has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
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

May

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls