Annika vs Barbara
Annika 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2015, Annika was ranked #382 and Barbara #543 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Annika was ranked #768 and Barbara #560 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Annika was ranked #1819 and Barbara #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Annika and Barbara over time
Annika and Barbara appear together in 2 published lists, across 70 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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Annika 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
Annika and Barbara changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1819 and #2000.
- Longest-running competitions
Annika and Barbara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 41 years, from 1957 to 2015, ending at #382 and #543.
List by list
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1957–2015
Annika held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Barbara in 24.
Highest recorded here: Annika #173 in 2006, Barbara #167 in 1960.
The order changed in 1988: Annika moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #268 and #247; by 1988 that had become #207 and #304.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Annika #382, Barbara #543.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Annika held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Barbara in 9.
Highest recorded here: Annika #701 in 2004, Barbara #848 in 1996.
The order changed in 2022: Annika moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #1454 and #1351; by 2022 that had become #876 and #1685.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Annika #1819, 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 | Annika | Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #277 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Annika and Barbara both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Annika
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #409 among girls in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1957–2025
Highest recorded position: #157 among girls in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1957–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #277 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