Alba vs Heidi
Alba and Heidicompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #227 and Heidi #65 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #66 and Heidi #95 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alba was ranked #213 and Heidi #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Alba was ranked #105 and Heidi #437 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #119 and Heidi #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Alba and Heidi over time
Alba and Heidi appear together in 4 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Alba 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.
Heidi reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Alba 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alba held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Heidi in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alba #119 in 2024, Heidi #76 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alba #119, Heidi #107.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1990–2025
Alba held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Heidi in 18.
Highest recorded here: Alba #105 in 2025, Heidi #48 in 1990.
The order changed in 2015: Alba moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #277 and #255; by 2015 that had become #214 and #314.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alba #105, Heidi #437.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2025
Alba held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Heidi in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alba #213 in 2025, Heidi #74 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alba #213, Heidi #91.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2024
Alba held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Heidi in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alba #227 in 2024, Heidi #48 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alba #227, Heidi #65.
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 | Alba | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #105 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Heidi has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid); Alba does not have one recorded yet.
- Alba and Heidi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Heidi; Alba doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Alba
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #546 among girls in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #105 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls