Alma vs Marissa
Alma and Marissacompared 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 2025, Alma was ranked #211 and Marissa #3035 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Alma was ranked #512 and Marissa #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alma and Marissa over time
Alma and Marissa appear together in 2 published lists, across 53 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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 Marissa changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1974 and 2018, ending at #512 and #896.
- Longest-running competitions
Alma and Marissa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #211 and #3035.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Marissa in 16.
Highest recorded here: Alma #211 in 2025, Marissa #467 in 2008.
The order changed in 2013: Alma moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #749 and #701; by 2013 that had become #684 and #1253.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #211, Marissa #3035.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1974–2018
Alma held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Marissa in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alma #211 in 1980, Marissa #353 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alma #512, Marissa #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 | Marissa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3035 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Marissa.
- 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 #211 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Marissa
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #428 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2011
Highest recorded position: #294 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 2004–2011).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3035 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls