Ann vs Ester
Ann and Estercompared 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 2023, Ann was ranked #404 and Ester #251 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Ann was ranked #264 and Ester #876 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ann was ranked #1406 and Ester #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Ann and Ester over time
Ann and Ester appear together in 3 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Ann held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ester 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.
Ann reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ester 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
Ann and Ester changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #1406 and #2115.
- Longest-running competitions
Ann and Ester were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 71 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #404 and #251.
List by list
Norway · Girls71 shared years, 1945–2023
Ann held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Ester in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ann #10 in 1967, Ester #134 in 1947.
The order changed in 2010: Ester moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #305 and #334; by 2010 that had become #420 and #365.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ann #404, Ester #251.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ann held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ester in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ann #607 in 1998, Ester #1326 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ann #1406, Ester #2115.
Republic of Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1964–2014
Ann held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ester in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ann #4 in 1964, Ester #282 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Ann #264, Ester #876.
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 | Ester |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Norway · Girls #209 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ann has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Ester.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
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
Ester
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #155 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: #134 among girls in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #209 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls