Alison vs Dora
Alison and Doracompared 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 2021, Alison was ranked #209 and Dora #883 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alison was ranked #1603 and Dora #1065 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Dora over time
Alison and Dora appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dora 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Dora changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1603 and #1065.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alison held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Dora in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alison #225 in 1996, Dora #952 in 2018.
The order changed in 2015: Dora moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #1177 and #1299; by 2015 that had become #1362 and #1240.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alison #1603, Dora #1065.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 1964–2021
Alison held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Dora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #38 in 1990, Dora #202 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Alison #209, Dora #883.
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 | Dora |
|---|---|---|
| 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-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1065 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Dora.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Dora
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #222 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 recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #202 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1065 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls