Annette vs Philomena
Annette and Philomenacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Annette was ranked #862 and Philomena #862 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Annette was ranked #3035 and Philomena #2788 among girls in England and Wales.
Annette and Philomena over time
Annette and Philomena appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Annette and Philomena changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #3035 and #2788.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Annette and Philomena averaged 54.1 places apart, ending at #862 and #862.
- Longest-running competitions
Annette and Philomena were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1964 to 2008, ending at #862 and #862.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Annette #58 in 1966, Philomena #72 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1964–2008
Annette held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Philomena in 11.
Highest recorded here: Annette #58 in 1966, Philomena #72 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Annette #862, Philomena #862.
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1996–2025
Annette held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Philomena in 13.
Highest recorded here: Annette #944 in 1996, Philomena #1749 in 2016.
The order changed in 2011: Philomena moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #2148 and #2326; by 2011 that had become #2636 and #2275.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Annette #3035, Philomena #2788.
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 | Annette | Philomena |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3035 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Annette has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Philomena.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Annette
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #343 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1974
Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1963 (recorded 1952–1974).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3035 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Philomena
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #72 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #72 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2788 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls