Melanie vs Tamara

Melanie and Tamaracompared 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.

New Zealand · Girls
In 1990, Melanie was ranked #74 and Tamara #80 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1996, Melanie was ranked #78 and Tamara #95 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Melanie was ranked #361 and Tamara #434 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2018, Melanie was ranked #495 and Tamara #500 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Melanie was ranked #885 and Tamara #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Melanie was ranked #934 and Tamara #1065 among girls in England and Wales.

Melanie and Tamara over time

Melanie and Tamara appear together in 5 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Melanie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Tamara in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Tamara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Melanie 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.

Repeatedly exchanged positions
Melanie and Tamara changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #934 and #1065.
Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Melanie and Tamara averaged 37.1 places apart, ending at #78 and #95.
Longest-running competitions
Melanie and Tamara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 34 years, from 1972 to 2018, ending at #495 and #500.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Melanie #239 in 1996, Tamara #116 in 1996.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1971–2025
Melanie held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Tamara in 7.
Highest recorded here: Melanie #128 in 2000, Tamara #159 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melanie #885, Tamara #885.
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1972–2018
Melanie held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Tamara in 11.
Highest recorded here: Melanie #281 in 1983, Tamara #363 in 1974.
The order changed in 2017: Melanie moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #498 and #474; by 2017 that had become #454 and #550.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Melanie #495, Tamara #500.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Melanie held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Tamara in 23.
Highest recorded here: Melanie #239 in 1996, Tamara #116 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Melanie moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #809 and #796; by 2023 that had become #754 and #794.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Melanie #934, Tamara #1065.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1975–1996
Melanie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Tamara in 1.
Highest recorded here: Melanie #14 in 1977, Tamara #52 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Melanie #78, Tamara #95.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2018
Melanie held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Tamara in 2.
Highest recorded here: Melanie #188 in 2002, Tamara #147 in 1997.
The order changed in 2002: Melanie moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #343 and #343; by 2002 that had become #188 and #252.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Melanie #361, Tamara #434.

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 Melanie

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

Kelly vs Melanie
In 1978, Kelly moved ahead of Melanie in New Zealand · Girls — #12 and #8 the year before became #3 and #12.
Kelly · Melanie · 25 shared years, 1970–1996 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1978 New Zealand ranking
Angela vs Melanie
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Angela and Melanie averaged 9.6 places apart, ending at #76 and #82.
Angela · Melanie · 28 shared years, 1970–1997 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1997 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Melanie vs Vanessa
Across 27 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Melanie and Vanessa averaged 10.8 places apart, ending at #84 and #91.
Melanie · Vanessa · 27 shared years, 1967–1993 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1993 New Zealand ranking
Melanie vs Renee
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Melanie and Renee averaged 11.2 places apart, ending at #78 and #79.
Melanie · Renee · 25 shared years, 1972–1996 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1996 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Melanie, Tamara
Field	Melanie	Tamara
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	3
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Norway · Girls #482 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Melanie and Tamara both have 3 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Melanie

Popularity journey

First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1966–1996
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1966–1996).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #482 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls

Tamara

Popularity journey

First recorded1946
First recorded at #386 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1975–1996
Highest recorded position: #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1975–1996).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls