Anita vs Josephine
Anita and Josephinecompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anita was ranked #459 and Josephine #241 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Anita was ranked #2278 and Josephine #256 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2005, Anita was ranked #377 and Josephine #377 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Anita was ranked #905 and Josephine #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Anita and Josephine over time
Anita and Josephine appear together in 3 published lists, across 143 years of shared records. Josephine held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Anita in 1.
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.
Anita reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Josephine in 1. 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
Anita and Josephine changed places 16 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2022, ending at #905 and #502.
- Longest-running competitions
Anita and Josephine were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2278 and #256.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Anita #436 in 1996, Josephine #168 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Girls60 shared years, 1951–2025
Anita held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Josephine in 9.
Highest recorded here: Anita #4 in 1966, Josephine #241 in 2025.
The order changed in 2016: Josephine moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #381 and #436; by 2016 that had become #447 and #253.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anita #459, Josephine #241.
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1964–2022
Anita held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Josephine in 32.
Highest recorded here: Anita #74 in 1976, Josephine #25 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Anita #905, Josephine #502.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Anita held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Josephine in 30.
Highest recorded here: Anita #436 in 1996, Josephine #168 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anita #2278, Josephine #256.
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 | Anita | Josephine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #459 (2025) | Norway · Girls #241 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anita has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Josephine.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Anita
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #162 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: #4 among girls in Norway, in 1963 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2278 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Josephine
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #367 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #256 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls