Alice vs Grainne
Alice and Grainnecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Alice was ranked #33 and Grainne #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Alice was ranked #38 and Grainne #5669 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alice was ranked #57 and Grainne #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alice and Grainne over time
Alice and Grainne appear together in 3 published lists, across 102 years of shared records. Alice held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Grainne in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Grainne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alice 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
Alice and Grainne changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #57 and #407.
- Longest-running competitions
Alice and Grainne were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #33 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alice #25 in 1996, Grainne #1234 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #57 and #62 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2018 they were #33 and #896.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2018
Alice held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Grainne in 40.
Highest recorded here: Alice #33 in 2018, Grainne #37 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alice #33, Grainne #896.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Alice held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Grainne in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alice #35 in 2019, Grainne #60 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alice #57, Grainne #407.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1996–2022
Alice held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Grainne in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alice #25 in 1996, Grainne #1234 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alice #38, Grainne #5669.
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 | Alice | Grainne |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #41 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #407 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alice has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Grainne.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alice
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #292 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in England and Wales, in 2016 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #76 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Grainne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #62 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #407 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls