Ann vs Nancy

Ann and Nancycompared 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, Ann was ranked #1406 and Nancy #81 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ann was ranked #443 and Nancy #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2011, Ann was ranked #277 and Nancy #363 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2011, Ann was ranked #412 and Nancy #482 among girls in Norway.

Ann and Nancy over time

Ann and Nancy appear together in 3 published lists, across 139 years of shared records. Ann held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nancy in 1.

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 3 of those lists, and Nancy 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.

Longest-running competitions
Ann and Nancy were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 60 years, from 1945 to 2011, ending at #412 and #482.

List by list

Norway · Girls60 shared years, 1945–2011
Ann held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Nancy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ann #10 in 1967, Nancy #151 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ann #412, Nancy #482.
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1965–2025
Ann held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Nancy in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ann #4 in 1968, Nancy #99 in 2025.
The order changed in 2015: Nancy moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #264 and #304; by 2015 that had become #291 and #276.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ann #443, Nancy #99.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ann held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nancy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ann #539 in 1996, Nancy #64 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ann #1406, Nancy #81.

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, Nancy
Field	Ann	Nancy
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	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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #99 (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 Nancy.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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

Nancy

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #249 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #64 among girls in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls