Barbara vs Elizabeth
Barbara and Elizabethcompared 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 1969, Barbara was ranked #98 and Elizabeth #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1971, Barbara was ranked #100 and Elizabeth #29 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Barbara was ranked #2000 and Elizabeth #62 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Elizabeth #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2015, Barbara was ranked #543 and Elizabeth #311 among girls in Norway.
Barbara and Elizabeth over time
Barbara and Elizabeth appear together in 5 published lists, across 174 years of shared records. Elizabeth held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Barbara 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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Elizabeth 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barbara and Elizabeth changed places 21 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2015, ending at #543 and #311.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 55 shared years in Norway · Girls, Barbara and Elizabeth averaged 56.8 places apart, ending at #543 and #311.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Elizabeth were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 55 years, from 1946 to 2015, ending at #543 and #311.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Barbara #848 in 1996, Elizabeth #26 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Elizabeth in 56.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #43 in 1964, Elizabeth #5 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Elizabeth #106.
Norway · Girls55 shared years, 1946–2015
Barbara held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Elizabeth in 26.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #167 in 1960, Elizabeth #154 in 1968.
The order changed in 2012: Elizabeth moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #587 and #596; by 2012 that had become #516 and #332.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Barbara #543, Elizabeth #311.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barbara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Elizabeth in 29.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Elizabeth #26 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barbara #2000, Elizabeth #62.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 1952–1969
Barbara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Elizabeth in 17.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #16 in 1953, Elizabeth #10 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1969: Barbara #98, Elizabeth #19.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 1954–1971
Barbara held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Elizabeth in 16.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #10 in 1954, Elizabeth #7 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Barbara #100, Elizabeth #29.
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 | Barbara | Elizabeth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Greek Elisabet, from Hebrew Elisheva, combining 'el' (God) with 'shava' ('oath') — 'my God is an oath'. Appears in the Old Testament as Elisheba, Aaron's wife, and in the New Testament as the mother of John the Baptist. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #76 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elizabeth has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Barbara does not have one recorded yet.
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Elizabeth.
- A meaning is recorded for Elizabeth; Barbara doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Elizabeth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #341 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls