Alison vs Dearbhail
Alison and Dearbhailcompared 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 2011, Alison was ranked #136 and Dearbhail #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2005, Alison was ranked #377 and Dearbhail #226 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alison and Dearbhail over time
Alison and Dearbhail appear together in 2 published lists, across 33 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dearbhail 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.
Dearbhail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alison 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Alison #33 in 1989, Dearbhail #344 in 1988.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1970–2011
Alison held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Dearbhail in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Dearbhail #344 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Alison #136, Dearbhail #937.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2005
Alison held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Dearbhail in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alison #118 in 1998, Dearbhail #174 in 1998.
The order changed in 2005: Dearbhail moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #273 and #372; by 2005 that had become #377 and #226.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Alison #377, Dearbhail #226.
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 | Dearbhail |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #937 (2011) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Dearbhail.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Dearbhail
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #396 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2007
Highest recorded position: #174 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2007).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2011.
Republic of Ireland · Girls