Ali vs Kalum
Ali and Kalumcompared 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 2017, Ali was ranked #130 and Kalum #4812 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Ali was ranked #262 and Kalum #329 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2018, Ali was ranked #369 and Kalum #749 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ali and Kalum over time
Ali and Kalum appear together in 2 published lists, across 33 years of shared records. Ali held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kalum in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Kalum reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2017
Ali held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Kalum in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #123 in 2002, Kalum #535 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ali #130, Kalum #4812.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 1999–2018
Ali held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Kalum in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #231 in 2005, Kalum #274 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Ali #369, Kalum #749.
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 | Kalum |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #58 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #749 (2018) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ali has a recorded origin (Arabic); Kalum does not have one recorded yet.
- Ali and Kalum both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ali; Kalum doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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 #103 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Kalum
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #535 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 recorded1999–2018
Highest recorded position: #274 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1999–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2018
Most recently recorded at #749 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2018.
Republic of Ireland · Boys