Anja vs Malin
Anja and Malincompared 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 Malin #167 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anja was ranked #3695 and Malin #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Anja and Malin over time
Anja and Malin appear together in 2 published lists, across 74 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Anja reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Malin 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1985, Malin moved ahead of Anja in Norway · Girls — #67 and #73 the year before became #81 and #50.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anja and Malin changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 2002 and 2024, ending at #3695 and #3015.
- Longest-running competitions
Anja and Malin were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 60 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #303 and #167.
List by list
Norway · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Anja held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Malin in 41.
Highest recorded here: Anja #63 in 1979, Malin #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 1985: Malin moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #67 and #73; by 1985 that had become #81 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anja #303, Malin #167.
England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 2002–2024
Anja held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Malin in 3.
Highest recorded here: Anja #1015 in 2011, Malin #2120 in 2016.
The order changed in 2023: Malin moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #3148 and #3970; by 2023 that had become #2504 and #2346.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anja #3695, Malin #3015.
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 | Malin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #303 (2025) | Norway · Girls #167 (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 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anja and Malin both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Malin
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #530 among girls in Norway in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1998 (recorded 1966–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #167 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls