Amelia vs Elsie
Amelia and Elsiecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #2 and Elsie #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Amelia was ranked #2 and Elsie #74 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #3 and Elsie #8 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Elsie #31 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Elsie #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Elsie #27 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #39 and Elsie #371 among girls in Norway.
Amelia and Elsie over time
Amelia and Elsie appear together in 6 published lists, across 143 years of shared records. Amelia held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Elsie in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Amelia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Elsie 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Scotland · Girls, Amelia and Elsie averaged 24.0 places apart, ending at #7 and #31.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Elsie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 52 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3 and #8.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #7 in 2024, Elsie #31 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls52 shared years, 1996–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Elsie #8 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #3, Elsie #8.
Scotland · Girls28 shared years, 2024–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Elsie #31 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Elsie #31.
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1964–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Elsie #55 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Elsie #55.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 2007–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Elsie #27 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Elsie #27.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 2013–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2020, Elsie #24 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #2, Elsie #24.
New Zealand · Girls8 shared years, 2015–2023
Amelia held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2019, Elsie #53 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Amelia #2, Elsie #74.
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 | Amelia | Elsie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | Shares the root meaning of Elizabeth: 'my God is an oath', inherited via the Scots form Elspeth. |
| Origin | Latin (influence) | Scottish, via Elizabeth |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | /ˈɛlsi/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Elspeth |
| 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 | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Elsie is recorded with a Scottish, via Elizabeth origin.
- Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Elsie.
- Amelia's recorded meaning differs from Elsie'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
Amelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Elsie
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #301 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls