Anna vs Lynn
Anna and Lynncompared 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 1998, Anna was ranked #20 and Lynn #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #29 and Lynn #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1958, Anna was ranked #84 and Lynn #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Anna was ranked #126 and Lynn #4709 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Lynn over time
Anna and Lynn appear together in 2 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lynn in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Lynn were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 53 years, from 1965 to 2024, ending at #29 and #898.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Anna #31 in 2000, Lynn #1870 in 2001.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1965–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Lynn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2018, Lynn #93 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #29, Lynn #898.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2023
Anna held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lynn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Lynn #1870 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Anna #126, Lynn #4709.
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 | Lynn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #898 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission); Lynn does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Lynn.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Lynn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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
Lynn
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #90 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1958
Highest recorded position: #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1955 (recorded 1952–1958).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2024.
Republic of Ireland · Girls