Anna vs Nora
Anna and Noracompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #23 and Nora #3 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #19 and Nora #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anna was ranked #26 and Nora #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Nora #72 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Anna was ranked #85 and Nora #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Nora #86 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Nora over time
Anna and Nora appear together in 4 published lists, across 189 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Nora in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Anna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Nora 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2023, Nora moved ahead of Anna in England and Wales · Girls — #114 and #119 the year before became #126 and #103.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Nora were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #23 and #3.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Nora in 26.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2007, Nora #1 in 2014.
The order changed in 2008: Nora moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #4 and #6; by 2008 that had become #10 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #23, Nora #3.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Anna held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Nora in 8.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Nora #22 in 1965.
The order changed in 1972: Anna moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #52 and #47; by 1972 that had become #55 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anna #26, Nora #76.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nora in 2.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Nora #86 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Nora moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #114 and #119; by 2023 that had become #126 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Nora #86.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #4 in 2016, Nora #44 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #19, Nora #44.
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 | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| 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 the names Honora (linked to Latin 'honor') or Eleanor — not an independently rooted name; Behind the Name does not specify which is the 'true' source for any given historical bearer. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek/Latin transmission | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor |
| Pronunciation | /ˈa.na/ | /ˈnɔrə/ |
| 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, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Norway · Girls #3 (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 Nora is recorded with a English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor origin.
- Anna and Nora both have 2 syllables.
- Anna's recorded meaning differs from Nora's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Nora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 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: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls