Alma vs Cathryn
Alma and Cathryncompared 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 1989, Alma was ranked #285 and Cathryn #445 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2017, Alma was ranked #413 and Cathryn #5765 among girls in England and Wales.
Alma and Cathryn over time
Alma and Cathryn appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathryn 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.
Cathryn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alma 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 · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2017
Alma held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Cathryn in 7.
Highest recorded here: Alma #413 in 2017, Cathryn #1195 in 2000.
The order changed in 2003: Alma moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #2105 and #1658; by 2003 that had become #2727 and #3099.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alma #413, Cathryn #5765.
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 | Alma | Cathryn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5765 (2017) |
| 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
- Alma and Cathryn both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Alma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #293 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Cathryn
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #466 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–1999
Highest recorded position: #344 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1998–1999).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #5765 among girls in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Girls