Anna vs Nina
Anna and Ninacompared 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 Nina #63 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Nina #195 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Nina #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Nina #97 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2021, Anna was ranked #99 and Nina #98 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Nina #160 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Nina over time
Anna and Nina appear together in 5 published lists, across 202 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Nina in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Anna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Nina 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anna and Nina changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Girls between 2011 and 2021, ending at #99 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Nina were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #23 and #195.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Nina in 34.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, Nina #3 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Nina #195.
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1967–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Nina in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Nina #83 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Nina #112.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nina in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Nina #137 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Nina #160.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nina in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Nina #63 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Nina #63.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2011–2021
Anna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Nina in 5.
Highest recorded here: Anna #43 in 2011, Nina #63 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Anna #99, Nina #98.
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 | Nina |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A short form of names ending in '-nina', such as Antonina or Giannina; imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission | Various (Russian/Italian short-form tradition) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈa.na/ | /ˈnʲi.nə/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission origin, while Nina is recorded with a Various (Russian/Italian short-form tradition) origin.
- Anna and Nina both have 2 syllables.
- Anna's recorded meaning differs from Nina's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Nina
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #132 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: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1964 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #195 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls