Alison vs Beth
Alison and Bethcompared 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 2013, Alison was ranked #440 and Beth #82 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alison was ranked #213 and Beth #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alison was ranked #1603 and Beth #2253 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Beth over time
Alison and Beth appear together in 3 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Beth held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alison in 1.
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.
Alison reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Beth 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
Alison and Beth changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1987 and 2025, ending at #213 and #266.
- Longest-running competitions
Alison and Beth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1987 to 2025, ending at #213 and #266.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alison #225 in 1996, Beth #83 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025
Alison held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Beth in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alison #38 in 1990, Beth #124 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alison #213, Beth #266.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alison held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Beth in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alison #225 in 1996, Beth #83 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Alison moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2201 and #1863; by 2024 that had become #1603 and #2253.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alison #1603, Beth #2253.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1997–2013
Alison held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Beth in 10.
Highest recorded here: Alison #118 in 1998, Beth #40 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Alison #440, Beth #82.
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 | Alison | Beth |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Beth.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alison
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #76 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1996
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1979 (recorded 1952–1996).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Beth
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls