Hannah vs Lucy
Hannah and Lucycompared 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 2025, Hannah was ranked #21 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Hannah was ranked #77 and Lucy #21 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Hannah was ranked #66 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Hannah was ranked #73 and Lucy #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Hannah was ranked #57 and Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hannah was ranked #107 and Lucy #123 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Hannah was ranked #116 and Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.
Hannah and Lucy over time
Hannah and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 232 years of shared records. Hannah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lucy in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Hannah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Lucy 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 Northern Ireland · Girls, Lucy moved into the top 50 at #38 in 2024 as Hannah fell out of it to #57, having been #36 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Lucy moved ahead of Hannah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #28 and #34 the year before became #29 and #25.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hannah and Lucy changed places 13 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #21 and #16.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Hannah and Lucy averaged 9.2 places apart, ending at #107 and #123.
- Longest-running competitions
Hannah and Lucy were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 41 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #73 and #32.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Hannah held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Lucy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #5 in 2019, Lucy #3 in 2016.
The order changed in 2024: Lucy moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #12 and #14; by 2024 that had become #20 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #21, Lucy #16.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1979–2023
Hannah held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Lucy in 15.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #2 in 1996, Lucy #12 in 2006.
The order changed in 2009: Lucy moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #11 and #14; by 2009 that had become #19 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Hannah #77, Lucy #21.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls41 shared years, 1985–2025
Hannah held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Lucy in 9.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #8 in 1997, Lucy #20 in 2012.
The order changed in 2018: Lucy moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #28 and #34; by 2018 that had become #29 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #73, Lucy #32.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hannah held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lucy in 20.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #6 in 1996, Lucy #7 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hannah #107, Lucy #123.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1984–2025
Hannah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lucy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #25 in 2005, Lucy #212 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #116, Lucy #296.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Hannah held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lucy in 18.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #6 in 1998, Lucy #4 in 2007.
The order changed in 2024: Lucy moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #36 and #39; by 2024 that had become #57 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hannah #57, Lucy #38.
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 | Hannah | Lucy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'favour' or 'grace', referring to graciousness. | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhænə/ | /ˈluː.si/ |
| 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 #21 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hannah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Hannah and Lucy both have 2 syllables.
- Hannah's recorded meaning differs from Lucy'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
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
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls