Anna vs Lillian
Anna and Lilliancompared 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 2022, Anna was ranked #16 and Lillian #418 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Lillian #295 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Lillian #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Anna was ranked #48 and Lillian #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Lillian #476 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Lillian #309 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Lillian over time
Anna and Lillian appear together in 4 published lists, across 175 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lillian in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anna and Lillian changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #23 and #295.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Lillian were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #23 and #295.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1945 they stood at #38 and #40 in Norway · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #23 and #295.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Lillian in 20.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, Lillian #40 in 1945.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Lillian #295.
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Lillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Lillian #236 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Lillian #413.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Lillian #274 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Lillian #309.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls9 shared years, 2003–2017
Anna held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #48 in 2017, Lillian #62 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Anna #48, Lillian #86.
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 | Lillian |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Norway · Girls #295 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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); Lillian does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Lillian both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Lillian doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Lillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #40 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: #40 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #295 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls