Anna vs Kate
Anna and Katecompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Anna was ranked #15 and Kate #490 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #19 and Kate #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Kate #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Kate #541 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Anna was ranked #63 and Kate #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Anna was ranked #69 and Kate #81 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Kate #1302 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Kate over time
Anna and Kate appear together in 6 published lists, across 259 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Kate in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Kate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anna and Kate changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1973 and 2008, ending at #63 and #84.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 36 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Anna and Kate averaged 21.0 places apart, ending at #63 and #84.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Kate were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 36 years, from 1973 to 2008, ending at #63 and #84.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Anna #35 in 1986, Kate #11 in 1986.
List by list
Norway · Girls66 shared years, 1945–2022
Anna held the stronger position in 66 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2014, Kate #104 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Anna #15, Kate #490.
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Kate in 26.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Kate #10 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Kate #52.
New Zealand · Girls42 shared years, 1973–2014
Anna held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Kate in 18.
Highest recorded here: Anna #3 in 1980, Kate #14 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Anna #69, Kate #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls36 shared years, 1973–2008
Anna held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Kate in 26.
Highest recorded here: Anna #35 in 1986, Kate #11 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Anna #63, Kate #84.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Kate #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Kate #1302.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Kate #47 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Kate #134.
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 | Kate |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission | Greek, short form of Katherine |
| Pronunciation | /ˈa.na/ | /ˈkeɪt/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anna is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission origin, while Kate is recorded with a Greek, short form of Katherine origin.
- Anna and Kate both have 2 syllables.
- Anna's recorded meaning differs from Kate'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
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
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls