Beth vs Ella
Beth 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Beth was ranked #431 and Ella #9 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Beth was ranked #161 and Ella #12 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Beth was ranked #266 and Ella #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Beth was ranked #2253 and Ella #39 among girls in England and Wales.
Beth and Ella over time
Beth and Ella appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Beth in 0.
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.
Beth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ella 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2002, Ella moved ahead of Beth in Northern Ireland · Girls — #51 and #82 the year before became #50 and #45.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ella rose about as far as Beth fell — from #89 and #204 in 1997 to #161 and #12 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Beth and Ella were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1987 to 2025, ending at #266 and #17.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025
Beth held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Ella in 33.
Highest recorded here: Beth #124 in 2011, Ella #3 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Beth #266, Ella #17.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Beth held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ella in 29.
Highest recorded here: Beth #83 in 1996, Ella #6 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Beth #2253, Ella #39.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Beth held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Ella in 23.
Highest recorded here: Beth #40 in 2000, Ella #2 in 2015.
The order changed in 2002: Ella moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #51 and #82; by 2002 that had become #50 and #45.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Beth #161, Ella #12.
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 | Beth | 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (2025) | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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); Beth does not have one recorded yet.
- Beth has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Ella.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; Beth doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Beth
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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