Anna vs Dorothy
Anna and Dorothycompared 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 2023, Anna was ranked #14 and Dorothy #302 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Dorothy #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1956, Anna was ranked #95 and Dorothy #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1957, Anna was ranked #93 and Dorothy #95 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Dorothy #193 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Dorothy over time
Anna and Dorothy appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dorothy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Anna and Dorothy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #26 and #544.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1964–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Dorothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Dorothy #95 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Dorothy #544.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Dorothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Dorothy #175 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Dorothy #193.
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 | Dorothy |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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); Dorothy does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Dorothy.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Dorothy 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
Dorothy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls