Alison vs Dympna
Alison and Dympnacompared 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 1994, Alison was ranked #50 and Dympna #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alison and Dympna over time
Alison and Dympna appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dympna 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.
Dympna 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1966, Alison moved ahead of Dympna in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #117 and #111 the year before became #98 and #139.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1964–1994
Alison held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Dympna in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Dympna #109 in 1964.
The order changed in 1966: Alison moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #117 and #111; by 1966 that had become #98 and #139.
Most recent shared year, 1994: Alison #50, Dympna #502.
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 | Dympna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #502 (1994) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Dympna.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Dympna
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #109 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 recorded1964–1994
Highest recorded position: #109 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–1994).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent1994
Most recently recorded at #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1994.
Republic of Ireland · Girls