Ali vs Calem
Ali and Calemcompared 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 · Boys
In 2011, Ali was ranked #144 and Calem #3830 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Ali was ranked #239 and Calem #657 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ali and Calem over time
Ali and Calem appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Ali held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Calem in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Calem reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ali 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 · Boys11 shared years, 1996–2011
Ali held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Calem in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #123 in 2007, Calem #1337 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ali #144, Calem #3830.
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 | Ali | Calem |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with 'elevated' or 'lofty, sublime', from the Arabic root 'to be high'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Arabic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæli/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #58 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #657 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ali has a recorded origin (Arabic); Calem does not have one recorded yet.
- Ali and Calem both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ali; Calem doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Ali
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #245 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #57 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Calem
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1337 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2022
Highest recorded position: #303 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #657 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022.
Republic of Ireland · Boys