Anja vs Noah
Anja and Noahcompared 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 2024, Anja was ranked #3695 and Noah #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Anja and Noah over time
Anja and Noah appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Anja held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Noah 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.
Anja reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Noah 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 · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Anja held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Noah in 4.
Highest recorded here: Anja #1628 in 2017, Noah #1743 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Noah moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2504 and #3218; by 2024 that had become #3695 and #1743.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anja #3695, Noah #1743.
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 | Noah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnoʊə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Noa, Noé |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #303 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Noah has a recorded origin (Hebrew); Anja does not have one recorded yet.
- Anja has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Noah.
- A meaning is recorded for Noah; Anja doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Anja a "medium" Data Confidence level and Noah a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Noah
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys