Alma vs Micheala
Alma and Michealacompared 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 2015, Alma was ranked #581 and Micheala #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2014, Alma was ranked #629 and Micheala #4684 among girls in England and Wales.
Alma and Micheala over time
Alma and Micheala appear together in 2 published lists, across 24 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 1996–2014
Alma held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Micheala in 6.
Highest recorded here: Alma #629 in 2014, Micheala #1543 in 1997.
The order changed in 2004: Alma moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #2105 and #1928; by 2004 that had become #1535 and #3197.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Alma #629, Micheala #4684.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1991–2015
Alma held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Micheala in 6.
Highest recorded here: Alma #365 in 1991, Micheala #275 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Alma #581, Micheala #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 | Micheala |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #896 (2015) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Micheala.
- 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
Micheala
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #515 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1991–2015
Highest recorded position: #275 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1991–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2015
Most recently recorded at #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2015.
Republic of Ireland · Girls