Alison vs Olive
Alison and Olivecompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alison was ranked #1603 and Olive #53 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alison was ranked #213 and Olive #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Alison was ranked #440 and Olive #370 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alison and Olive over time
Alison and Olive appear together in 2 published lists, across 87 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alison and Olive changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #213 and #247.
- Longest-running competitions
Alison and Olive were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 58 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #213 and #247.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025
Alison held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Olive in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alison #33 in 1989, Olive #34 in 1975.
The order changed in 2025: Alison moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #275 and #243; by 2025 that had become #213 and #247.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alison #213, Olive #247.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alison held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Olive in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alison #225 in 1996, Olive #53 in 2024.
The order changed in 2006: Olive moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #802 and #1012; by 2006 that had become #958 and #816.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alison #1603, Olive #53.
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 | Olive |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #68 (2025) |
| 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 and Olive 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 #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Olive
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #72 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 recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls