Anna vs Hayley
Anna and Hayleycompared 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 2024, Anna was ranked #19 and Hayley #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Hayley #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Hayley #230 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2016, Anna was ranked #75 and Hayley #99 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2018, Anna was ranked #86 and Hayley #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Hayley #503 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Hayley over time
Anna and Hayley appear together in 5 published lists, across 188 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hayley in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Hayley 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 Hayley changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1979 and 2018, ending at #86 and #96.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Anna and Hayley averaged 22.2 places apart, ending at #86 and #96.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Hayley were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 38 years, from 1979 to 2018, ending at #86 and #96.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #47 and #57 in England and Wales · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2024 they were #125 and #503.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1968–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Hayley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Hayley #48 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Hayley #148.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1973–2016
Anna held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Hayley in 10.
Highest recorded here: Anna #3 in 1980, Hayley #14 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Anna #75, Hayley #99.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls38 shared years, 1979–2018
Anna held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hayley in 29.
Highest recorded here: Anna #35 in 1986, Hayley #18 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Anna #86, Hayley #96.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hayley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Hayley #57 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Hayley #503.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Hayley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Hayley #57 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Hayley #227.
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 | Hayley |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #148 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Hayley does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Hayley both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Hayley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Hayley
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1973–2016
Highest recorded position: #14 among girls in New Zealand, in 1990 (recorded 1973–2016).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls