Namewise

Arlo vs Elijah

Arlo and Elijahcompared 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 · Boys

    In 2025, Arlo was ranked #47 and Elijah #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Arlo was ranked #12 and Elijah #13 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Arlo was ranked #15 and Elijah #23 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Arlo was ranked #18 and Elijah #76 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Arlo was ranked #45 and Elijah #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Arlo was ranked #54 and Elijah #97 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2019, Arlo was ranked #3541 and Elijah #5591 among girls in England and Wales.

Arlo and Elijah over time

Arlo and Elijah appear together in 5 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Elijah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Arlo in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Arlo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Elijah 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2018, Arlo moved ahead of Elijah in England and Wales · Boys — #42 and #41 the year before became #36 and #41.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Arlo and Elijah changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Boys between 2013 and 2023, ending at #12 and #13.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arlo #14 in 2023, Elijah #23 in 2024.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 19992024

    Arlo held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Elijah in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Arlo #14 in 2023, Elijah #23 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2018: Arlo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #42 and #41; by 2018 that had become #36 and #41.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #15, Elijah #23.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 20092025

    Arlo held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Elijah in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Arlo #48 in 2024, Elijah #97 in 2025.

    The order changed in 2021: Arlo moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #115 and #111; by 2021 that had become #99 and #131.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arlo #54, Elijah #97.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 20112024

    Arlo held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Elijah in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Arlo #40 in 2023, Elijah #52 in 2023.

    The order changed in 2023: Arlo moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #62 and #53; by 2023 that had become #40 and #52.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #45, Elijah #57.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 20152025

    Arlo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Elijah in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Arlo #19 in 2023, Elijah #7 in 2025.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arlo #47, Elijah #7.

  • New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 20132023

    Arlo held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Elijah in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Arlo #10 in 2017, Elijah #11 in 2020.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Arlo #12, Elijah #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

Side-by-side comparison of Arlo, Elijah
FieldArloElijah
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningMeaning uncertain — likely derived by Edmund Spenser from the real Irish place name Aherlow ('between two highlands') for the fictional Arlo Hill in The Faerie Queene (1590).Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew.
OriginIrish (place name origin, via literary adaptation)Biblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈɑɹ.loʊ//ɪˈlaɪdʒə/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #47 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #7 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Arlo is recorded with a Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation) origin, while Elijah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Arlo has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Elijah.
  • Arlo's recorded meaning differs from Elijah's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Arlo

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1999

    First recorded at #2943 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2013–2023

    Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2013–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Elijah

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1996

    First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2003–2025

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys