Alma vs May
Alma and Maycompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Alma was ranked #8 and May #481 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alma was ranked #226 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alma was ranked #234 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Alma and May over time
Alma and May appear together in 3 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. May held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alma in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
May reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alma in 1. 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 May changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1967 and 2025, ending at #226 and #718.
- Longest-running competitions
Alma and May were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 67 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #8 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Girls67 shared years, 1945–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, May in 44.
Highest recorded here: Alma #5 in 2023, May #24 in 1959.
The order changed in 2002: Alma moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #281 and #252; by 2002 that had become #291 and #302.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #8, May #481.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, May in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alma #228 in 2023, May #325 in 2007.
The order changed in 2015: Alma moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #629 and #576; by 2015 that had become #609 and #643.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alma #234, May #610.
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1967–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, May in 12.
Highest recorded here: Alma #211 in 1980, May #262 in 2023.
The order changed in 2024: Alma moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #625 and #262; by 2024 that had become #213 and #342.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #226, May #718.
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 | May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
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
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 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: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls