Ana vs Elif
Ana and Elifcompared 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 2023, Ana was ranked #212 and Elif #727 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ana was ranked #351 and Elif #790 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ana was ranked #391 and Elif #396 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ana was ranked #392 and Elif #686 among girls in England and Wales.
Ana and Elif over time
Ana and Elif appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Ana held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Elif in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Elif reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ana held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Elif in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ana #288 in 2018, Elif #517 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ana #392, Elif #686.
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 | Ana | Elif |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Anna — not Maori, despite superficial catalogue grouping | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈa.na/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) | Norway · Girls #396 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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); Elif does not have one recorded yet.
- Ana and Elif both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ana; Elif doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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
Elif
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1031 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2023–2025
Highest recorded position: #369 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 2023–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #396 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls