Alison vs Loretta
Alison and Lorettacompared 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 1991, Alison was ranked #39 and Loretta #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alison was ranked #1603 and Loretta #1302 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Loretta over time
Alison and Loretta appear together in 2 published lists, across 57 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Loretta 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Alison rose about as far as Loretta fell — from #146 and #180 in 1964 to #39 and #393 in 1991.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alison held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Loretta in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alison #225 in 1996, Loretta #876 in 2022.
The order changed in 2021: Loretta moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1238 and #1397; by 2021 that had become #1402 and #1351.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alison #1603, Loretta #1302.
Republic of Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1964–1991
Alison held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Loretta in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Loretta #180 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Alison #39, Loretta #393.
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 | Loretta |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #790 (2024) |
| 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 Loretta both have 3 syllables.
- 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
Loretta
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #180 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 recorded1964–1991
Highest recorded position: #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–1991).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1302 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls