Ailis vs Ana
Ailis and Anacompared 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 2019, Ailis was ranked #871 and Ana #260 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2001, Ailis was ranked #293 and Ana #293 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Ailis was ranked #4645 and Ana #400 among girls in England and Wales.
Ailis and Ana over time
Ailis and Ana appear together in 2 published lists, across 35 years of shared records. Ana held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ailis 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.
Ailis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ana 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ailis #324 in 2000, Ana #238 in 2001.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1982–2019
Ailis held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ana in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ailis #324 in 2000, Ana #238 in 2001.
The order changed in 2000: Ana moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #363 and #394; by 2000 that had become #324 and #303.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ailis #871, Ana #260.
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 1996–2022
Ailis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ana in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ailis #1480 in 1998, Ana #298 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Ailis #4645, Ana #400.
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 | Ailis | Ana |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | As an internationally-used given name, traditionally interpreted as 'grace' or 'favour', via the Anna/Hannah lineage rooted in Hebrew hanan. This is very likely the name's real origin as commonly used — the official Maori dictionary's only entries for this exact spelling are an unrelated common noun ('cave, tunnel') and grammatical particles, none tagged as a personal name. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Anna — not Maori, despite superficial catalogue grouping |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈa.na/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4645 (2022) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ana has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Anna — not Maori, despite superficial catalogue grouping); Ailis does not have one recorded yet.
- Ailis and Ana both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ana; Ailis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ailis
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2001
Highest recorded position: #293 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2001).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #4645 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Girls
Ana
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #329 among girls in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1949–2025
Highest recorded position: #131 among girls in Norway, in 1980 (recorded 1949–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #391 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls