Anna vs Maja
Anna and Majacompared 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 Maja #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Maja #27 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Maja #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Maja #244 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Maja #425 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Maja over time
Anna and Maja appear together in 4 published lists, across 130 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Maja 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Maja were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 61 years, from 1960 to 2025, ending at #23 and #27.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Anna #4 in 2007, Maja #16 in 2009.
List by list
Norway · Girls61 shared years, 1960–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Maja in 1.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, Maja #16 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Maja #27.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Maja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Maja #128 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Maja #425.
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 2003–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Maja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Maja #54 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Maja #247.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2006–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Maja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Maja #106 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Maja #253.
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 | Maja |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Norway · Girls #27 (2025) |
| 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); Maja does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Maja both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Maja doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Maja
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #444 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1960–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among girls in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 1960–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #27 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls