Anna vs Sheila
Anna and Sheilacompared 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 1996, Anna was ranked #7 and Sheila #657 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2011, Anna was ranked #14 and Sheila #444 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Anna was ranked #25 and Sheila #905 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Sheila #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Sheila over time
Anna and Sheila appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sheila in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sheila reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Anna 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 Sheila were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 52 years, from 1964 to 2022, ending at #25 and #905.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #34 and #37 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2022 they were #25 and #905.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1964–2022
Anna held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Sheila in 1.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Sheila #37 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Anna #25, Sheila #905.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sheila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Sheila #1502 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Sheila #4192.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1964–1996
Anna held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sheila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #7 in 1996, Sheila #359 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Anna #7, Sheila #657.
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 | Sheila |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Sheila does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Sheila both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Sheila 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
Sheila
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #535 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2022
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls