Alba vs Jess
Alba and Jesscompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #66 and Jess #541 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #119 and Jess #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alba was ranked #213 and Jess #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #227 and Jess #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alba and Jess over time
Alba and Jess appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Alba held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jess 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.
Jess reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
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
Alba and Jess changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2008 and 2025, ending at #213 and #544.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Alba held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Jess in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alba #119 in 2024, Jess #769 in 2005.
The order changed in 2009: Alba moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #1135 and #1034; by 2009 that had become #1083 and #1596.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alba #119, Jess #5891.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2008–2025
Alba held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jess in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alba #213 in 2025, Jess #355 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alba #213, Jess #544.
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 | Jess |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #105 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alba has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jess.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Jess
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #355 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1990–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls