Anja vs Irene
Anja and Irenecompared 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, Anja was ranked #303 and Irene #507 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anja was ranked #3695 and Irene #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Anja and Irene over time
Anja and Irene appear together in 2 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1983, Anja moved ahead of Irene in Norway · Girls — #85 and #82 the year before became #72 and #109.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anja and Irene changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3695 and #952.
- Longest-running competitions
Anja and Irene were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 67 years, from 1956 to 2025, ending at #303 and #507.
List by list
Norway · Girls67 shared years, 1956–2025
Anja held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Irene in 24.
Highest recorded here: Anja #63 in 1979, Irene #34 in 1965.
The order changed in 1983: Anja moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #85 and #82; by 1983 that had become #72 and #109.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anja #303, Irene #507.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anja held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Irene in 15.
Highest recorded here: Anja #816 in 2001, Irene #952 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anja #3695, Irene #952.
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 | Anja | Irene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #303 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anja has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Irene.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Anja
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #272 among girls in Norway in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1956–2025
Highest recorded position: #63 among girls in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1956–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #303 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Irene
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #60 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: #34 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #507 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls