Anna vs Ashleigh
Anna and Ashleighcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Anna was ranked #4 and Ashleigh #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Anna was ranked #21 and Ashleigh #764 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2005, Anna was ranked #33 and Ashleigh #72 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2005, Anna was ranked #61 and Ashleigh #87 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Ashleigh #1819 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Ashleigh over time
Anna and Ashleigh appear together in 5 published lists, across 123 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ashleigh in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ashleigh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Anna in 2. 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
Anna and Ashleigh changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1985 and 2005, ending at #61 and #87.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Anna and Ashleigh averaged 23.4 places apart, ending at #61 and #87.
- Mirrored each other
Over 37 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Anna rose about as far as Ashleigh fell — from #52 and #417 in 1971 to #21 and #764 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Ashleigh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 37 years, from 1971 to 2021, ending at #21 and #764.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 1971–2021
Anna held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Ashleigh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Ashleigh #162 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Anna #21, Ashleigh #764.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ashleigh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Ashleigh #58 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Ashleigh #1819.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1985–2005
Anna held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ashleigh in 17.
Highest recorded here: Anna #35 in 1986, Ashleigh #13 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Anna #61, Ashleigh #87.
New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 1986–2005
Anna held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ashleigh in 9.
Highest recorded here: Anna #10 in 1987, Ashleigh #8 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Anna #33, Ashleigh #72.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1997–2016
Anna held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Ashleigh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Ashleigh #87 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Anna #4, Ashleigh #440.
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 | Anna | Ashleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament, from the Hebrew root 'hanan' relating to grace. Appears in the New Testament as a prophetess who recognised Jesus as the Messiah. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈa.na/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1819 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 53/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anna has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission); Ashleigh does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Ashleigh both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Ashleigh doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Anna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #38 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1956–2021
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1956–2021).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Ashleigh
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1986–2005
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1986–2005).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1819 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls