Ally vs Gillian
Ally and Gilliancompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2003, Ally was ranked #248 and Gillian #331 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ally was ranked #404 and Gillian #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ally was ranked #2771 and Gillian #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Ally and Gillian over time
Ally and Gillian appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Ally held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gillian in 0.
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.
Gillian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ally 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.
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
Ally and Gillian changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1998 and 2024, ending at #2771 and #3695.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ally #180 in 2001, Gillian #136 in 1999.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1998–2024
Ally held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Gillian in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ally #936 in 2001, Gillian #955 in 1998.
The order changed in 2023: Ally moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #4634 and #3961; by 2023 that had become #4056 and #4709.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ally #2771, Gillian #3695.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1999–2023
Ally held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Gillian in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ally #180 in 2001, Gillian #136 in 1999.
The order changed in 2003: Ally moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #238 and #197; by 2003 that had become #247 and #279.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ally #404, Gillian #856.
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 | Ally | Gillian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #483 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ally and Gillian both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ally
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2863 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2025
Highest recorded position: #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1999–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Gillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #64 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #27 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1977 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls