Annie vs Donna
Annie and Donnacompared 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 2024, Annie was ranked #41 and Donna #736 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Annie was ranked #90 and Donna #372 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Annie was ranked #115 and Donna #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Annie and Donna over time
Annie and Donna appear together in 2 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Donna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Annie 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Annie and Donna changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #41 and #736.
- Longest-running competitions
Annie and Donna were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #41 and #736.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2024
Annie held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Donna in 31.
Highest recorded here: Annie #41 in 2024, Donna #33 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Annie #41, Donna #736.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Annie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Donna in 0.
Highest recorded here: Annie #108 in 2016, Donna #441 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Annie #115, Donna #5891.
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 | Donna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #33 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Donna does not have one recorded yet.
- Annie and Donna both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Annie; Donna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Donna
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls