Bethan vs Elaine
Bethan and Elainecompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2003, Bethan was ranked #248 and Elaine #331 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Bethan was ranked #873 and Elaine #651 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Bethan was ranked #2440 and Elaine #1133 among girls in England and Wales.
Bethan and Elaine over time
Bethan and Elaine appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Elaine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Bethan 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Bethan and Elaine were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2440 and #1133.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Bethan #72 in 1996, Elaine #823 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Bethan held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Elaine in 3.
Highest recorded here: Bethan #72 in 1996, Elaine #823 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Elaine moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1640 and #1705; by 2024 that had become #2115 and #1160.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bethan #2440, Elaine #1133.
Republic of Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1995–2017
Bethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Elaine in 8.
Highest recorded here: Bethan #512 in 2002, Elaine #64 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Bethan #873, Elaine #651.
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 | Bethan | Elaine |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2440 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bethan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Elaine.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Bethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1995
First recorded at #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1995 — 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: #72 among girls in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2440 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Elaine
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #71 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1133 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls