Alma vs Marcella
Alma and Marcellacompared 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 Marcella #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Alma was ranked #625 and Marcella #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alma and Marcella over time
Alma and Marcella appear together in 2 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Marcella 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.
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 Marcella changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2023, ending at #625 and #856.
- Longest-running competitions
Alma and Marcella were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #625 and #856.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alma #228 in 2023, Marcella #1259 in 2021.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1964–2023
Alma held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Marcella in 25.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Marcella #138 in 1964.
The order changed in 2012: Alma moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #764 and #764; by 2012 that had become #677 and #907.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alma #625, Marcella #856.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Marcella in 6.
Highest recorded here: Alma #228 in 2023, Marcella #1259 in 2021.
The order changed in 2003: Alma moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #2105 and #1658; by 2003 that had become #2727 and #3594.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alma #234, Marcella #2000.
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 | Marcella |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Marcella.
- 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
Marcella
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls