Alma vs Meryl
Alma and Merylcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alma was ranked #226 and Meryl #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alma was ranked #234 and Meryl #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alma was ranked #315 and Meryl #790 among girls in Scotland.
Alma and Meryl over time
Alma and Meryl appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meryl 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.
Meryl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 1996–2024
Alma held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Meryl in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alma #234 in 2024, Meryl #1802 in 1997.
The order changed in 2000: Alma moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #2411 and #1802; by 2000 that had become #2416 and #3912.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alma #234, Meryl #3695.
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 | Meryl |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma and Meryl both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, 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
Meryl
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2096 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls