Anna vs Tanya
Anna and Tanyacompared 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 1982, Anna was ranked #6 and Tanya #90 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2009, Anna was ranked #8 and Tanya #623 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Anna was ranked #15 and Tanya #212 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Anna was ranked #17 and Tanya #585 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1987, Anna was ranked #42 and Tanya #90 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #53 and Tanya #638 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anna was ranked #125 and Tanya #1894 among girls in England and Wales.
Anna and Tanya over time
Anna and Tanya appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Anna held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Tanya in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Tanya reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anna and Tanya changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1959 and 1987, ending at #42 and #90.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Anna and Tanya averaged 16.1 places apart, ending at #42 and #90.
- Mirrored each other
Over 51 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Anna rose about as far as Tanya fell — from #34 and #327 in 1964 to #17 and #585 in 2016.
- Longest-running competitions
Anna and Tanya were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 37 years, from 1963 to 2009, ending at #8 and #623.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2016
Anna held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Tanya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #12 in 2013, Tanya #84 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Anna #17, Tanya #585.
Norway · Girls37 shared years, 1963–2009
Anna held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Tanya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #6 in 1995, Tanya #327 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Anna #8, Tanya #623.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tanya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anna #31 in 2000, Tanya #235 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anna #125, Tanya #1894.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1959–1987
Anna held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Tanya in 14.
Highest recorded here: Anna #35 in 1986, Tanya #30 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Anna #42, Tanya #90.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 1964–1982
Anna held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Tanya in 3.
Highest recorded here: Anna #3 in 1981, Tanya #41 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Anna #6, Tanya #90.
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 | Tanya |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #23 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Tanya does not have one recorded yet.
- Anna and Tanya both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anna; Tanya doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Tanya
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1959–1987
Highest recorded position: #30 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1970 (recorded 1959–1987).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls