Alma vs Heidi
Alma and Heidicompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Alma was ranked #8 and Heidi #437 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alma was ranked #226 and Heidi #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alma was ranked #315 and Heidi #95 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alma was ranked #234 and Heidi #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Alma and Heidi over time
Alma and Heidi appear together in 3 published lists, across 136 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alma 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.
Heidi reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alma 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 2003, Alma moved ahead of Heidi in Norway · Girls — #291 and #137 the year before became #154 and #187.
- Mirrored each other
Over 68 shared years in Norway · Girls, Alma rose about as far as Heidi fell — from #293 and #188 in 1945 to #8 and #437 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Alma and Heidi were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 68 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #8 and #437.
List by list
Norway · Girls68 shared years, 1945–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Heidi in 45.
Highest recorded here: Alma #5 in 2023, Heidi #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 2003: Alma moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #291 and #137; by 2003 that had become #154 and #187.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #8, Heidi #437.
Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 1968–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Heidi in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Heidi #74 in 2019.
The order changed in 1996: Heidi moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #456 and #523; by 1996 that had become #534 and #534.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #226, Heidi #91.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alma held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Heidi in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alma #228 in 2023, Heidi #76 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alma #234, Heidi #107.
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 | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Heidi has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid); Alma does not have one recorded yet.
- Alma and Heidi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Heidi; Alma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls