Alma vs Leigh
Alma and Leighcompared 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 2021, Alma was ranked #267 and Leigh #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Alma was ranked #579 and Leigh #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alma and Leigh over time
Alma and Leigh appear together in 2 published lists, across 55 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Leigh 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alma and Leigh changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1969 and 2017, ending at #579 and #873.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1969–2017
Alma held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Leigh in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Leigh #237 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alma #579, Leigh #873.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2021
Alma held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Leigh in 11.
Highest recorded here: Alma #267 in 2021, Leigh #296 in 1996.
The order changed in 2009: Alma moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #1247 and #1135; by 2009 that had become #1105 and #1837.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Alma #267, Leigh #5581.
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 | Leigh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 71/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leigh.
- 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
Leigh
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #443 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 recorded1981–1983
Highest recorded position: #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1983 (recorded 1981–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys