Annie vs Barbara
Annie and Barbaracompared 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 2023, Annie was ranked #48 and Barbara #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Annie was ranked #115 and Barbara #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2015, Annie was ranked #334 and Barbara #543 among girls in Norway.
Annie and Barbara over time
Annie and Barbara appear together in 3 published lists, across 140 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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Annie in 1. 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
Annie and Barbara changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2015, ending at #334 and #543.
- Longest-running competitions
Annie and Barbara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 55 years, from 1946 to 2015, ending at #334 and #543.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2023
Annie held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Barbara in 28.
Highest recorded here: Annie #46 in 2021, Barbara #43 in 1964.
The order changed in 1992: Annie moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #250 and #224; by 1992 that had become #220 and #229.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Annie #48, Barbara #856.
Norway · Girls55 shared years, 1946–2015
Annie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Barbara in 35.
Highest recorded here: Annie #151 in 1949, Barbara #167 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Annie #334, Barbara #543.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Annie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Barbara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Annie #108 in 2016, Barbara #848 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Annie #115, Barbara #2000.
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 | Annie | Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Anne, itself from the Hebrew root 'hanan' ('grace, favour') via Latin Anna. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | A diminutive of Anne, tracing to the Hebrew root 'hanan' via Latin Anna | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.i/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #33 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Annie has a recorded origin (A diminutive of Anne, tracing to the Hebrew root 'hanan' via Latin Anna); Barbara does not have one recorded yet.
- Annie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Barbara.
- A meaning is recorded for Annie; Barbara doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Annie
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #180 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #214 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls