Marlen vs Olivia
Marlen and Oliviacompared 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 · Girls
In 2014, Marlen was ranked #5691 and Olivia #2 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Marlen was ranked #454 and Olivia #3 among girls in Norway.
Marlen and Olivia over time
Marlen and Olivia appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Marlen 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.
Marlen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Olivia 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Marlen and Olivia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 31 years, from 1975 to 2022, ending at #454 and #3.
List by list
Norway · Girls31 shared years, 1975–2022
Marlen held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Olivia in 18.
Highest recorded here: Marlen #212 in 1987, Olivia #3 in 2015.
The order changed in 1997: Olivia moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #272 and #316; by 1997 that had become #520 and #219.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Marlen #454, Olivia #3.
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 | Marlen | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Olivea, Liv, Livvy, Oliwia |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #454 (2022) | Norway · Girls #2 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Olivia has a recorded origin (Latin); Marlen does not have one recorded yet.
- Marlen has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- A meaning is recorded for Olivia; Marlen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Marlen a "medium" Data Confidence level and Olivia a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Marlen
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #472 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1963–2022
Highest recorded position: #193 among girls in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1963–2022).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #454 among girls in Norway, in 2022.
Norway · Girls
Olivia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #488 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls