Barbara vs Ella
Barbara and Ellacompared 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 2015, Barbara was ranked #543 and Ella #4 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Ella #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Barbara was ranked #2000 and Ella #39 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Ella over time
Barbara and Ella appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 2 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 3 of those lists, and Ella 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barbara and Ella changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2015, ending at #543 and #4.
- Mirrored each other
Over 48 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ella rose about as far as Barbara fell — from #271 and #123 in 1946 to #543 and #4 in 2015.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Ella were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 48 years, from 1946 to 2015, ending at #543 and #4.
List by list
Norway · Girls48 shared years, 1946–2015
Barbara held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ella in 22.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #167 in 1960, Ella #4 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Barbara #543, Ella #4.
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1970–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Ella in 26.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #59 in 1970, Ella #4 in 2013.
The order changed in 1995: Ella moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #212 and #282; by 1995 that had become #352 and #242.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Ella #10.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barbara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ella in 29.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Ella #6 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barbara #2000, Ella #39.
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 | Ella |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen and other names beginning with 'El-', also used as a short form of names ending in '-ella'. Widely used across Scandinavian and Germanic languages as well as English. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, diminutive form |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ella has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive form); Barbara does not have one recorded yet.
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ella.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; 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
Ella
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #137 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls