Namewise

Anna vs Jessica

Anna and Jessicacompared 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 Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2017, Anna was ranked #48 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Anna was ranked #91 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Anna was ranked #142 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.

Anna and Jessica over time

Anna and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 262 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2019, Jessica moved ahead of Anna in New Zealand · Girls — #78 and #93 the year before became #91 and #85.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Anna and Jessica changed places 11 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #19 and #127.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Anna and Jessica averaged 47.3 places apart, ending at #142 and #139.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Anna and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #142 and #139.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Anna #35 in 1986, Jessica #1 in 1984.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025

    Anna held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Jessica in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Jessica #12 in 1995.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Jessica #141.

  • Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025

    Anna held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Jessica in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, Jessica #143 in 2010.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Jessica #474.

  • New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1977–2019

    Anna held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jessica in 35.

    Highest recorded here: Anna #3 in 1980, Jessica #1 in 1990.

    The order changed in 2019: Jessica moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #78 and #93; by 2019 that had become #91 and #85.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Anna #91, Jessica #85.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls42 shared years, 1976–2017

    Anna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Jessica in 37.

    Highest recorded here: Anna #35 in 1986, Jessica #1 in 1984.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Anna #48, Jessica #96.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Anna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Jessica #1 in 2005.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #142, Jessica #139.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Anna held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jessica in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Jessica #4 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2014: Anna moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #9 and #9; by 2014 that had become #7 and #14.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Jessica #127.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Anna

Pairs where Anna shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Jessica

Pairs where Jessica shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Anna, Jessica
FieldAnnaJessica
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA 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.Coined by William Shakespeare for his 1596 play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to Shylock's daughter — likely based on the biblical name Iscah, also spelled Jescha/Jischa in some translations of Shakespeare's time.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmissionBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage
Pronunciation/ˈa.na//ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #23 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Anna is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
  • Anna has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
  • Anna's recorded meaning differs from Jessica's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Anna

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1956–2021

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1956–2021).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #142 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Jessica

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #471 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #139 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls