Allison vs Margaret
Allison and Margaretcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1974, Allison was ranked #79 and Margaret #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Allison was ranked #631 and Margaret #181 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Allison was ranked #3318 and Margaret #493 among girls in England and Wales.
Allison and Margaret over time
Allison and Margaret appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Allison 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.
Margaret reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Allison in 1. 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 1971, Allison moved ahead of Margaret in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #89 and #69 the year before became #63 and #80.
- Longest-running competitions
Allison and Margaret were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #631 and #181.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Allison #164 in 1966, Margaret #2 in 1965.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2024
Allison held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 54.
Highest recorded here: Allison #164 in 1966, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allison #631, Margaret #181.
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Allison held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 27.
Highest recorded here: Allison #1317 in 1999, Margaret #357 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allison #3318, Margaret #493.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 1965–1974
Allison held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Margaret in 6.
Highest recorded here: Allison #63 in 1971, Margaret #24 in 1965.
The order changed in 1971: Allison moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #89 and #69; by 1971 that had become #63 and #80.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Allison #79, Margaret #93.
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 | Allison | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Latin Margarita, from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl' — likely originally borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language. Associated with Saint Margaret, a 4th-century martyr and patron saint of expectant mothers. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #631 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Allison does not have one recorded yet.
- Allison and Margaret both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Allison doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Allison
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 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 recorded1965–1980
Highest recorded position: #63 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1971 (recorded 1965–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Margaret
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #173 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls