Anna vs May
Anna and Maycompared 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 May #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and May #481 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and May over time
Anna and May appear together in 4 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, May in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Anna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, May 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 May were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #23 and #481.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1945 they stood at #38 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #23 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 52 of those years, May in 28.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, May #24 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, May #481.
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1967–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 34 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, May #262 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, May #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, May #325 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, May #610.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2009–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 8 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, May #276 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, May #407.
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 | May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (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); May does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; May doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 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: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls