Anne vs Irena
Anne and Irenacompared 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 1990, Anne was ranked #11 and Irena #656 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Anne was ranked #1640 and Irena #2689 among girls in England and Wales.
Anne and Irena over time
Anne and Irena appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Anne held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Irena 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 Irena 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 Irena were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 40 years, from 1947 to 1990, ending at #11 and #656.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Anne #472 in 2000, Irena #2416 in 2000.
List by list
Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1947–1990
Anne held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Irena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anne #1 in 1947, Irena #256 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Anne #11, Irena #656.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 2000–2023
Anne held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Irena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anne #472 in 2000, Irena #2416 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Anne #1640, Irena #2689.
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 | Irena |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ann, Ane, Anna | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #159 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2689 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Anne has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via French transmission); Irena does not have one recorded yet.
- Anne has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Irena.
- A meaning is recorded for Anne; Irena doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Anne a "high" Data Confidence level and Irena 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
Irena
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–1990
Highest recorded position: #256 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1947–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #2689 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls