Fiona vs Hannah
Fiona and Hannahcompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1987, Fiona was ranked #92 and Hannah #13 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Fiona was ranked #432 and Hannah #19 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Fiona was ranked #325 and Hannah #21 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1987, Fiona was ranked #95 and Hannah #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Fiona was ranked #638 and Hannah #66 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Fiona was ranked #1406 and Hannah #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Fiona was ranked #399 and Hannah #116 among girls in Norway.
Fiona and Hannah over time
Fiona and Hannah appear together in 5 published lists, across 149 years of shared records. Hannah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Fiona in 0.
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.
Fiona reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Hannah 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Hannah moved into the top 50 at #29 in 1982 as Fiona fell out of it to #51, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1982, Hannah moved ahead of Fiona in New Zealand · Girls — #37 and #42 the year before became #51 and #29.
- Longest-running competitions
Fiona and Hannah were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 30 years, from 1986 to 2025, ending at #399 and #116.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Fiona #157 in 1996, Hannah #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Fiona held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Hannah in 32.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #4 in 1971, Hannah #5 in 2019.
The order changed in 1994: Hannah moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #24 and #27; by 1994 that had become #34 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fiona #325, Hannah #21.
Norway · Girls30 shared years, 1986–2025
Fiona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hannah in 30.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #207 in 2015, Hannah #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fiona #399, Hannah #116.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Fiona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hannah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #157 in 1996, Hannah #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fiona #1406, Hannah #107.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1997–2017
Fiona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hannah in 18.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #66 in 1997, Hannah #6 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Fiona #432, Hannah #19.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 1978–1987
Fiona held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Hannah in 6.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #30 in 1979, Hannah #13 in 1987.
The order changed in 1982: Hannah moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #37 and #42; by 1982 that had become #51 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Fiona #92, Hannah #13.
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 | Fiona | Hannah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The feminine form of Fionn. Popularized by Scottish poet James Macpherson in his 1761 poem Fingal, where it was spelled 'Fióna'. | Commonly interpreted as 'favour' or 'grace', referring to graciousness. |
| Origin | Scottish, feminine of Fionn | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /fi.ˈoʊ.nə/ | /ˈhænə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fiona is recorded with a Scottish, feminine of Fionn origin, while Hannah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Fiona and Hannah both have 2 syllables.
- Fiona's recorded meaning differs from Hannah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Fiona
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #87 among girls in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #399 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Hannah
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #91 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 recorded1978–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 1996 (recorded 1978–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls