Anna vs Eilis
Anna and Eiliscompared 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 Eilis #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #19 and Eilis #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Anna was ranked #126 and Eilis #5687 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Eilis over time
Anna and Eilis appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Eilis in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Eilis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
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 Eilis were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2017, ending at #12 and #651.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2017
Anna held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Eilis in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Eilis #164 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Anna #12, Eilis #651.
England and Wales · Girls21 shared years, 1996–2023
Anna held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Eilis in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Eilis #1031 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Anna #126, Eilis #5687.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Eilis in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Eilis #158 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Eilis #337.
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 | Eilis |
|---|---|---|
| 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-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #337 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Anna has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission); Eilis does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Eilis both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Eilis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Eilis
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #226 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #158 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #337 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls