Caleb vs Elijah
Caleb 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 2024, Caleb was ranked #97 and Elijah #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Caleb was ranked #45 and Elijah #13 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Caleb was ranked #75 and Elijah #23 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Caleb was ranked #26 and Elijah #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Caleb was ranked #42 and Elijah #76 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Caleb was ranked #108 and Elijah #97 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Caleb and Elijah over time
Caleb and Elijah appear together in 5 published lists, across 120 years of shared records. Caleb held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Elijah in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Caleb 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 2012, Elijah moved ahead of Caleb in England and Wales · Boys — #89 and #91 the year before became #85 and #82.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Caleb and Elijah changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2000 and 2025, ending at #108 and #97.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Caleb and Elijah averaged 57.8 places apart, ending at #75 and #23.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Elijah rose about as far as Caleb fell — from #27 and #92 in 1997 to #45 and #13 in 2023.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Caleb #72 in 2023, Elijah #23 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Caleb held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Elijah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #72 in 2023, Elijah #23 in 2024.
The order changed in 2012: Elijah moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #89 and #91; by 2012 that had become #85 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caleb #75, Elijah #23.
New Zealand · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2023
Caleb held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Elijah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #12 in 1999, Elijah #11 in 2020.
The order changed in 2011: Elijah moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #28 and #52; by 2011 that had become #38 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Caleb #45, Elijah #13.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Caleb held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Elijah in 5.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #91 in 2024, Elijah #97 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Elijah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #91 and #129; by 2025 that had become #108 and #97.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caleb #108, Elijah #97.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1999–2024
Caleb held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Elijah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #20 in 2023, Elijah #52 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caleb #26, Elijah #57.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys18 shared years, 2003–2024
Caleb held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Elijah in 12.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #51 in 2004, Elijah #9 in 2020.
The order changed in 2009: Elijah moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #67 and #86; by 2009 that had become #58 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caleb #97, Elijah #10.
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 | Caleb | Elijah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elijah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Caleb does not have one recorded yet.
- Caleb has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Elijah.
- A meaning is recorded for Elijah; Caleb doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Caleb
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #98 among boys in New Zealand in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2023
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1982–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #108 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Elijah
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys