Anna vs Jemma
Anna and Jemmacompared 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 2011, Anna was ranked #14 and Jemma #444 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Anna was ranked #17 and Jemma #661 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2005, Anna was ranked #33 and Jemma #86 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2003, Anna was ranked #60 and Jemma #87 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Jemma #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Jemma over time
Anna and Jemma appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jemma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jemma 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 Jemma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1965 to 2016, ending at #17 and #661.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1965–2016
Anna held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Jemma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Jemma #180 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Anna #17, Jemma #661.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Jemma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Jemma #101 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Jemma #5891.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2011
Anna held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Jemma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #9 in 2005, Jemma #101 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Anna #14, Jemma #444.
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 | Jemma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 #5891 (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); Jemma does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Jemma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Jemma 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
Jemma
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2005
Highest recorded position: #73 among girls in New Zealand, in 2002 (recorded 1985–2005).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls