Carol vs Ellen
Carol and Ellencompared 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 1998, Carol was ranked #351 and Ellen #29 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Carol was ranked #663 and Ellen #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Carol was ranked #3519 and Ellen #683 among girls in England and Wales.
Carol and Ellen over time
Carol and Ellen appear together in 2 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Carol in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Carol reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ellen 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
Carol and Ellen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #663 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Carol #802 in 1996, Ellen #63 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #36 and #27 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2010 they were #663 and #47.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2010
Carol held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Ellen in 23.
Highest recorded here: Carol #34 in 1968, Ellen #23 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Carol #663, Ellen #47.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2021
Carol held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ellen in 24.
Highest recorded here: Carol #802 in 1996, Ellen #63 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Carol #3519, Ellen #683.
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 | Carol | Ellen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Carol and Ellen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Carol
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #26 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 recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys
Ellen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #29 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in Norway, in 1955 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls