Anna vs Lena
Anna and Lenacompared 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 Lena #288 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Lena #294 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Lena #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Lena #207 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Lena #283 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Lena over time
Anna and Lena appear together in 4 published lists, across 192 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lena in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Lena 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Lena were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #23 and #294.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Anna #12 in 2013, Lena #71 in 2012.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 72 of those years, Lena in 9.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, Lena #20 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Lena #294.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Lena #71 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Lena #266.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Lena #128 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Lena #283.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2001–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Lena #131 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Lena #288.
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 | Lena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 names ending in '-lena', such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena — widely used independently. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission | Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions |
| Pronunciation | /ˈa.na/ | /ˈleː.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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (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 Lena is recorded with a Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions origin.
- Anna and Lena both have 2 syllables.
- Anna's recorded meaning differs from Lena's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Lena
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #346 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Norway, in 1969 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls