Anne vs Heidi
Anne and Heidicompared 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 2015, Anne was ranked #358 and Heidi #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1976, Anne was ranked #80 and Heidi #67 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Anne was ranked #544 and Heidi #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Anne was ranked #638 and Heidi #95 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Anne was ranked #1036 and Heidi #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Anne was ranked #159 and Heidi #437 among girls in Norway.
Anne and Heidi over time
Anne and Heidi appear together in 4 published lists, across 166 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Anne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Heidi 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 Heidi were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #159 and #437.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anne held the stronger position in 81 of those years, Heidi in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anne #1 in 1945, Heidi #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anne #159, Heidi #437.
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1968–2025
Anne held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Heidi in 21.
Highest recorded here: Anne #5 in 1968, Heidi #74 in 2019.
The order changed in 2005: Heidi moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #215 and #370; by 2005 that had become #398 and #263.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anne #544, Heidi #91.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anne held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Heidi in 29.
Highest recorded here: Anne #432 in 1996, Heidi #76 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anne #1036, Heidi #107.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1998–2015
Anne held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Heidi in 7.
Highest recorded here: Anne #229 in 1998, Heidi #57 in 2015.
The order changed in 2005: Heidi moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #252 and #286; by 2005 that had become #377 and #278.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Anne #358, Heidi #57.
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 | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via French transmission | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑː.nə/ | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #159 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Anne is recorded with a Hebrew, via French transmission origin, while Heidi is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid origin.
- Anne and Heidi both have 2 syllables.
- Anne's recorded meaning differs from Heidi's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Anne a "high" Data Confidence level and Heidi 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
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls