Alison vs Norma
Alison and Normacompared 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 2001, Alison was ranked #62 and Norma #606 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Alison was ranked #2201 and Norma #4709 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Norma over time
Alison and Norma appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Norma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Alison and Norma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1964 to 2001, ending at #62 and #606.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2001
Alison held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Norma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Norma #154 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Alison #62, Norma #606.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 1998–2023
Alison held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Norma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #306 in 1998, Norma #3262 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alison #2201, Norma #4709.
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 | Norma |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4709 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Norma.
- 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
Norma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #332 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2001
Highest recorded position: #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2001).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4709 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls