Alma vs Thelma
Alma and Thelmacompared 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 Thelma #168 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Alma was ranked #211 and Thelma #2605 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1991, Alma was ranked #365 and Thelma #457 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alma and Thelma over time
Alma and Thelma appear together in 3 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Alma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Thelma 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.
Thelma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 Thelma changed places 13 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 1991, ending at #365 and #457.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Alma #5 in 2023, Thelma #134 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1945–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Thelma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alma #5 in 2023, Thelma #134 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #8, Thelma #168.
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1964–1991
Alma held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Thelma in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alma #204 in 1978, Thelma #232 in 1975.
The order changed in 1986: Alma moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #242 and #242; by 1986 that had become #250 and #275.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Alma #365, Thelma #457.
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1998–2025
Alma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Thelma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alma #211 in 2025, Thelma #2320 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alma #211, Thelma #2605.
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 | Thelma |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) | Norway · Girls #168 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alma and Thelma both have 2 syllables.
- 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 #211 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Thelma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #365 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: #134 among girls in Norway, in 2022 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls