Marlene vs Sarah
Marlene and Sarahcompared 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 2014, Marlene was ranked #876 and Sarah #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Marlene was ranked #516 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Marlene was ranked #4843 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Marlene and Sarah over time
Marlene and Sarah appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Marlene 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.
Marlene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Sarah in 1. 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
Marlene and Sarah were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 50 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #516 and #115.
List by list
Norway · Girls50 shared years, 1967–2025
Marlene held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sarah in 49.
Highest recorded here: Marlene #91 in 1987, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order changed in 1968: Sarah moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #519 and #524; by 1968 that had become #558 and #405.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Marlene #516, Sarah #115.
England and Wales · Girls25 shared years, 1996–2024
Marlene held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 25.
Highest recorded here: Marlene #1585 in 2006, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marlene #4843, Sarah #130.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1967–2014
Marlene held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 17.
Highest recorded here: Marlene #326 in 1970, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Marlene #876, Sarah #12.
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 | Marlene | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Hebrew, meaning 'lady, princess, noblewoman'. In the Old Testament, Sarah's name was changed from Sarai by God, alongside Abraham's own name change (Genesis 17:15); she is regarded as matriarch of the Jewish people. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #516 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Marlene does not have one recorded yet.
- Marlene has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Marlene doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Marlene
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #519 among girls in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #91 among girls in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1967–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #516 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sarah
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #86 among girls in New Zealand in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1958–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1958–2019).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls