Anne vs Grete
Anne and Gretecompared 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 2022, Anne was ranked #121 and Grete #484 among girls in Norway.
Anne and Grete over time
Anne and Grete appear together in 1 published list, across 64 years of shared records. Anne held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Grete in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Anne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Grete 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Anne and Grete were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 64 years, from 1945 to 2022, ending at #121 and #484.
List by list
Norway · Girls64 shared years, 1945–2022
Anne held the stronger position in 64 of those years, Grete in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anne #1 in 1945, Grete #18 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Anne #121, Grete #484.
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 | Anne | Grete |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The French form of Anna, from the Hebrew root 'hanan' carrying the sense of grace or favour. Imported to England in the 13th century but not popular until three centuries later. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via French transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑː.nə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ann, Ane, Anna | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #159 (2025) | Norway · Girls #484 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Anne has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via French transmission); Grete does not have one recorded yet.
- Anne and Grete both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Anne; Grete doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Anne a "high" Data Confidence level and Grete a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Anne
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #1 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 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #159 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Grete
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #28 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2022
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in Norway, in 1953 (recorded 1945–2022).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #484 among girls in Norway, in 2022.
Norway · Girls