Anna vs Karla
Anna and Karlacompared 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 2014, Anna was ranked #7 and Karla #365 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1975, Anna was ranked #23 and Karla #88 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Karla #266 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Karla #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Karla #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Karla over time
Anna and Karla appear together in 4 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Karla in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Karla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Anna in 1. 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 46 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Anna rose about as far as Karla fell — from #55 and #471 in 1972 to #26 and #718 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Karla were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #26 and #718.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1972–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Karla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Karla #194 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Karla #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Karla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Karla #433 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Karla #2115.
Norway · Girls27 shared years, 1948–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Karla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2014, Karla #264 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Karla #266.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2014
Anna held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Karla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #7 in 2014, Karla #155 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Anna #7, Karla #365.
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 | Karla |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Norway · Girls #266 (2025) |
| 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); Karla does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Karla both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Karla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, 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
Karla
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #366 among girls in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #266 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls