Anabelle vs Selma
Anabelle and Selmacompared 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 2015, Anabelle was ranked #660 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anabelle was ranked #4192 and Selma #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Anabelle and Selma over time
Anabelle and Selma appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Anabelle held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Selma 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.
Selma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Anabelle 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
Anabelle and Selma changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #4192 and #2000.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Anabelle held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Selma in 7.
Highest recorded here: Anabelle #421 in 2013, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order changed in 2024: Selma moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1640 and #1705; by 2024 that had become #4192 and #2000.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anabelle #4192, Selma #2000.
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 | Anabelle | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anabelle has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Selma.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Anabelle
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
Highest recorded2008–2020
Highest recorded position: #390 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 2008–2020).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls