Amelia vs Anthea
Amelia and Antheacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #2 and Anthea #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1979, Amelia was ranked #363 and Anthea #363 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Amelia and Anthea over time
Amelia and Anthea appear together in 1 published list, across 42 years of shared records. Amelia held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Anthea in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Anthea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Amelia 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Anthea were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 42 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #2 and #3695.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls42 shared years, 1996–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Anthea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Anthea #1168 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #2, Anthea #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 | Amelia | Anthea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin (influence) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Amelia has a recorded origin (Latin (influence)); Anthea does not have one recorded yet.
- Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Anthea.
- A meaning is recorded for Amelia; Anthea doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
- The available evidence gives Amelia a "high" Data Confidence level and Anthea a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Amelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Anthea
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1969–1981
Highest recorded position: #296 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1977 (recorded 1969–1981).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls