Anna vs Maree
Anna and Mareecompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1974, Anna was ranked #22 and Maree #88 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1971, Anna was ranked #55 and Maree #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Anna and Maree over time
Anna and Maree appear together in 2 published lists, across 35 years of shared records. Maree held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Anna in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Maree reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Anna in none. 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Anna moved into the top 50 at #48 in 1970 as Maree fell out of it to #64, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1965, Anna moved ahead of Maree in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #62 and #56 the year before became #56 and #66.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 1954–1971
Anna held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Maree in 11.
Highest recorded here: Anna #49 in 1969, Maree #51 in 1955.
The order changed in 1965: Anna moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #62 and #56; by 1965 that had become #56 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Anna #55, Maree #96.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 1956–1974
Anna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Maree in 12.
Highest recorded here: Anna #22 in 1974, Maree #42 in 1968.
The order changed in 1970: Anna moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #55 and #47; by 1970 that had become #48 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Anna #22, Maree #88.
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 | Maree |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | New Zealand · Girls #88 (1974) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anna has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission); Maree does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Maree both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Maree doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Maree
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #72 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 recorded1955–1974
Highest recorded position: #42 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1955–1974).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent1974
Most recently recorded at #88 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974.
New Zealand · Girls