Alma vs Jo
Alma and Jocompared 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 2018, Alma was ranked #512 and Jo #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2013, Alma was ranked #684 and Jo #5742 among girls in England and Wales.
Alma and Jo over time
Alma and Jo appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Jo 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.
Jo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 · Girls17 shared years, 1996–2013
Alma held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jo in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alma #684 in 2013, Jo #736 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Alma moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #1500 and #1500; by 2006 that had become #1087 and #2781.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Alma #684, Jo #5742.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1971–2018
Alma held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Jo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Jo #349 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alma #512, Jo #896.
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 | Jo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | Norway · Boys #319 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jo.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Jo
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #301 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #96 among boys in Norway, in 1966 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #319 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys