Anna vs Ceili
Anna and Ceilicompared 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 2017, Anna was ranked #12 and Ceili #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Anna was ranked #17 and Ceili #451 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Anna and Ceili over time
Anna and Ceili appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ceili in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ceili reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Anna 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 · Girls11 shared years, 1993–2017
Anna held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ceili in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2017, Ceili #516 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Anna #12, Ceili #734.
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 | Ceili |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #734 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Anna has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission); Ceili does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Ceili both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Ceili doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
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
Ceili
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2006–2012
Highest recorded position: #384 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 2006–2012).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls