Alistair vs Asa
Alistair and Asacompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #246 and Asa #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #545 and Asa #434 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Alistair was ranked #631 and Asa #755 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alistair and Asa over time
Alistair and Asa appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Asa 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.
Alistair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Asa 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alistair held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Asa in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Asa #434 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Asa moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #500 and #515; by 2023 that had become #556 and #461.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alistair #545, Asa #434.
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 | Alistair | Asa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #434 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Asa.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Alistair
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #97 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1964
Highest recorded position: #87 among boys in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1956–1964).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Asa
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1975–2022
Highest recorded position: #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1975–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls