Alison vs Dorothy
Alison and Dorothycompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1957, Alison was ranked #36 and Dorothy #95 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1956, Alison was ranked #79 and Dorothy #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Alison was ranked #1719 and Dorothy #199 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alison was ranked #213 and Dorothy #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alison and Dorothy over time
Alison and Dorothy appear together in 2 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1965, Alison moved ahead of Dorothy in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #146 and #95 the year before became #117 and #123.
- Longest-running competitions
Alison and Dorothy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1719 and #199.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1964–2025
Alison held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Dorothy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Dorothy #95 in 1964.
The order changed in 1965: Alison moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #146 and #95; by 1965 that had become #117 and #123.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alison #213, Dorothy #544.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alison held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Dorothy in 18.
Highest recorded here: Alison #225 in 1996, Dorothy #175 in 2020.
The order changed in 2007: Dorothy moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #958 and #1119; by 2007 that had become #987 and #919.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alison #1719, Dorothy #199.
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 | Dorothy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #199 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison and Dorothy both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
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 #1719 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Dorothy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #79 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 recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #199 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls