Ann vs Ethel

Ann and Ethelcompared 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.

Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ann was ranked #556 and Ethel #412 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ann was ranked #1406 and Ethel #980 among girls in England and Wales.

Ann and Ethel over time

Ann and Ethel appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Ann held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ethel in 0.

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.

Ann reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ethel 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

Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1964–2024
Ann held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Ethel in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ann #4 in 1964, Ethel #217 in 1969.
The order changed in 2024: Ethel moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #296 and #625; by 2024 that had become #556 and #412.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ann #556, Ethel #412.
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2000–2024
Ann held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Ethel in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ann #615 in 2000, Ethel #980 in 2024.
The order changed in 2020: Ethel moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #1316 and #1389; by 2020 that had become #1939 and #1687.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ann #1406, Ethel #980.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Ann

Pairs where Ann shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Ann vs Pauline
In 1964 they stood at #4 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2018 they were #319 and #896.
Ann · Pauline · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Ann vs Geraldine
In 1964 they stood at #4 and #9 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2021 they were #363 and #883.
Ann · Geraldine · 51 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Republic of Ireland ranking
Ann vs Deirdre
In 1964 they stood at #4 and #14 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2019 they were #362 and #871.
Ann · Deirdre · 51 shared years, 1964–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2019 Republic of Ireland ranking
Ann vs Elizabeth
In 1964 they stood at #4 and #6 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #443 and #76.
Ann · Elizabeth · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Ann, Ethel
Field	Ann	Ethel
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
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #412 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	60/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Ann has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Ethel.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.

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

Ethel

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #222 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #217 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #980 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls