Alma vs Joann
Alma and Joanncompared 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 2018, Alma was ranked #362 and Joann #5666 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1992, Alma was ranked #456 and Joann #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alma and Joann over time
Alma and Joann appear together in 1 published list, across 22 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Joann 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.
Joann 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.
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 Joann changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1969 and 1992, ending at #456 and #417.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1969–1992
Alma held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Joann in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Joann #249 in 1974.
The order changed in 1992: Joann moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #365 and #515; by 1992 that had become #456 and #417.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Alma #456, Joann #417.
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 | Joann |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5666 (2018) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Joann.
- 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
Joann
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1969–1995
Highest recorded position: #249 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1974 (recorded 1969–1995).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2018
Most recently recorded at #5666 among girls in England and Wales, in 2018.
England and Wales · Girls