Namewise

Hanna vs Liv

Hanna and Livcompared 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 2025, Hanna was ranked #53 and Liv #73 among girls in Norway.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Hanna was ranked #244 and Liv #790 among girls in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Hanna was ranked #273 and Liv #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Hanna was ranked #352 and Liv #2278 among girls in England and Wales.

Hanna and Liv over time

Hanna and Liv appear together in 3 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Hanna held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Liv in 1.

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.

Liv reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Hanna 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 moved ahead of the other

    In 1987, Hanna moved ahead of Liv in Norway · Girls — #113 and #90 the year before became #85 and #139.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Hanna and Liv were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #53 and #73.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Hanna #141 in 2016, Liv #1088 in 2015.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls81 shared years, 19452025

    Hanna held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Liv in 42.

    Highest recorded here: Hanna #22 in 2004, Liv #3 in 1945.

    The order changed in 1987: Hanna moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #113 and #90; by 1987 that had become #85 and #139.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Hanna #53, Liv #73.

  • England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 19962025

    Hanna held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Liv in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Hanna #141 in 2016, Liv #1088 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Hanna #352, Liv #2278.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 20052025

    Hanna held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Liv in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Hanna #86 in 2015, Liv #544 in 2020.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Hanna #273, Liv #608.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Hanna, Liv
FieldHannaLiv
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedTraditionally traced to an Old Norse name (Hlif) commonly interpreted as 'protection'. In modern Scandinavian usage the name is also strongly associated with the everyday word for 'life', though that is a separate word, not the historical root.
OriginNot yet recordedOld Norse, used in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish tradition
PronunciationNot yet recorded/liːv/
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NOGB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #53 (2025)Norway · Girls #73 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Liv has a recorded origin (Old Norse, used in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish tradition); Hanna does not have one recorded yet.
  • Hanna has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Liv.
  • A meaning is recorded for Liv; Hanna doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.

How each name got here

Hanna

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #164 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Liv

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #3 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2278 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls