Alma vs Dervla

Alma and Dervlacompared 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 2016, Alma was ranked #529 and Dervla #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Alma was ranked #579 and Dervla #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Alma and Dervla over time

Alma and Dervla appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dervla in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

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
Alma and Dervla changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1966 and 2017, ending at #579 and #651.
Longest-running competitions
Alma and Dervla were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 38 years, from 1966 to 2017, ending at #579 and #651.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls38 shared years, 1966–2017
Alma held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Dervla in 11.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Dervla #235 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alma #579, Dervla #651.
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1996–2016
Alma held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Dervla in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alma #529 in 2016, Dervla #1666 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Alma #529, Dervla #5785.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alma

Pairs where Alma shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Heidi vs Alma
Over 68 shared years in Norway · Girls, Alma rose about as far as Heidi fell — from #188 and #293 in 1945 to #437 and #8 in 2025.
Heidi · Alma · 68 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Alma vs Kristin
Over 68 shared years in Norway · Girls, Alma rose about as far as Kristin fell — from #293 and #130 in 1945 to #8 and #251 in 2025.
Alma · Kristin · 68 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Alma vs Solveig
Over 68 shared years in Norway · Girls, Alma rose about as far as Solveig fell — from #293 and #14 in 1945 to #8 and #28 in 2025.
Alma · Solveig · 68 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Alma vs Hanne
Over 67 shared years in Norway · Girls, Alma rose about as far as Hanne fell — from #293 and #123 in 1945 to #8 and #318 in 2025.
Alma · Hanne · 67 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alma, Dervla
Field	Alma	Dervla
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)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #651 (2017)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Alma and Dervla 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

Dervla

Popularity journey

First recorded1966
First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2012
Highest recorded position: #161 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2012).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls