Ana vs Merissa
Ana and Merissacompared 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 2012, Ana was ranked #386 and Merissa #5876 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1996, Ana was ranked #534 and Merissa #534 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ana and Merissa over time
Ana and Merissa appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Ana held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Merissa in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Merissa 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 · Girls12 shared years, 1996–2012
Ana held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Merissa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ana #358 in 2010, Merissa #2085 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Ana #386, Merissa #5876.
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 | Merissa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5876 (2012) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ana has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Anna — not Maori, despite superficial catalogue grouping); Merissa does not have one recorded yet.
- Ana has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Merissa.
- A meaning is recorded for Ana; Merissa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Merissa
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3126 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
Most recent2012
Most recently recorded at #5876 among girls in England and Wales, in 2012.
England and Wales · Girls