Alma vs Jolene
Alma and Jolenecompared 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 2024, Alma was ranked #234 and Jolene #1894 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Alma was ranked #625 and Jolene #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alma and Jolene over time
Alma and Jolene appear together in 2 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jolene 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.
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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Alma rose about as far as Jolene fell — from #2096 and #869 in 1996 to #234 and #1894 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Alma #204 in 1978, Jolene #311 in 1980.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alma held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Jolene in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alma #228 in 2023, Jolene #869 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Alma moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #1500 and #1406; by 2006 that had become #1087 and #1502.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alma #234, Jolene #1894.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1976–2023
Alma held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Jolene in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Jolene #311 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alma #625, Jolene #856.
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 | Jolene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1894 (2024) |
| 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 has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jolene.
- 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
Jolene
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #75 among girls in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1975–1979
Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1975–1979).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls