Alanah vs Ana
Alanah 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Alanah was ranked #430 and Ana #237 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Alanah was ranked #905 and Ana #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alanah was ranked #2574 and Ana #392 among girls in England and Wales.
Alanah and Ana over time
Alanah and Ana appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Ana held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alanah 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.
Alanah 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alanah and Ana changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1996 and 2022, ending at #905 and #266.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alanah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ana in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alanah #672 in 1997, Ana #288 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alanah #2574, Ana #392.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 1996–2022
Alanah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ana in 14.
Highest recorded here: Alanah #225 in 2001, Ana #232 in 2009.
The order changed in 2006: Ana moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #245 and #277; by 2006 that had become #394 and #367.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alanah #905, Ana #266.
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 | Alanah | 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 | 3 | 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 #2574 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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); Alanah does not have one recorded yet.
- Alanah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ana.
- A meaning is recorded for Ana; Alanah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alanah
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #523 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1992–2022
Highest recorded position: #225 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1992–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2574 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
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