Ann vs Colleen
Ann and Colleencompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1965, Ann was ranked #63 and Colleen #87 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1966, Ann was ranked #64 and Colleen #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2011, Ann was ranked #277 and Colleen #277 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ann was ranked #443 and Colleen #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Ann was ranked #2008 and Colleen #4763 among girls in England and Wales.
Ann and Colleen over time
Ann and Colleen appear together in 5 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Ann held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Colleen in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ann reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Colleen 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Ann and Colleen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #443 and #718.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ann #539 in 1996, Colleen #753 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1968–2025
Ann held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Colleen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ann #4 in 1968, Colleen #197 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ann #443, Colleen #718.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2016
Ann held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Colleen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ann #539 in 1996, Colleen #753 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Ann #2008, Colleen #4763.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 1952–1966
Ann held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Colleen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ann #31 in 1955, Colleen #41 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Ann #64, Colleen #100.
New Zealand · Girls12 shared years, 1954–1965
Ann held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Colleen in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ann #39 in 1955, Colleen #43 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1965: Ann #63, Colleen #87.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1998–2011
Ann held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Colleen in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ann #229 in 1998, Colleen #103 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ann #277, Colleen #277.
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 | Ann | Colleen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ann has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Colleen.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ann
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #82 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Colleen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1966
Highest recorded position: #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1966).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls