Namewise

Charlotte vs Ella

Charlotte 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.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Charlotte was ranked #1 and Ella #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Charlotte was ranked #1 and Ella #9 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Charlotte was ranked #162 and Ella #4 among girls in Norway.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Charlotte was ranked #6 and Ella #12 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Charlotte was ranked #10 and Ella #9 among girls in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Charlotte was ranked #43 and Ella #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Charlotte was ranked #25 and Ella #46 among girls in England and Wales.

Charlotte and Ella over time

Charlotte and Ella appear together in 6 published lists, across 228 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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.

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 1998, Ella moved ahead of Charlotte in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #109 and #176 the year before became #127 and #94.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Charlotte and Ella changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1998 and 2025, ending at #1 and #11.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Charlotte and Ella averaged 10.1 places apart, ending at #25 and #46.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Charlotte and Ella were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #25 and #46.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Charlotte #1 in 2006, Ella #1 in 2007.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls66 shared years, 1946–2025

    Charlotte held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Ella in 31.

    Highest recorded here: Charlotte #12 in 1990, Ella #3 in 2019.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlotte #162, Ella #4.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1970–2025

    Charlotte held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Ella in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Charlotte #39 in 2018, Ella #3 in 2007.

    The order changed in 1998: Ella moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #109 and #176; by 1998 that had become #127 and #94.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlotte #43, Ella #17.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Charlotte held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Ella in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Charlotte #5 in 2000, Ella #6 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlotte #25, Ella #46.

  • New Zealand · Girls30 shared years, 1993–2023

    Charlotte held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Ella in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Charlotte #1 in 2006, Ella #1 in 2007.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlotte #1, Ella #9.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1998–2025

    Charlotte held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Ella in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Charlotte #1 in 2012, Ella #2 in 2007.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlotte #1, Ella #11.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Charlotte held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Ella in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Charlotte #6 in 2024, Ella #2 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlotte #6, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Charlotte

Pairs where Charlotte shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Ella

Pairs where Ella shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Charlotte, Ella
FieldCharlotteElla
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningFree man (feminine form of Charles).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.
OriginFrench, feminine of CharlesGermanic, diminutive form
Pronunciation/ˈʃɑɹlət//ˈɛl.ə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesLottie, Charlie, CarlottaNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Girls #1 (2025)Norway · Girls #4 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)65/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)70/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Charlotte is recorded with a French, feminine of Charles origin, while Ella is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive form origin.
  • Charlotte has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ella.
  • Charlotte's recorded meaning differs from Ella's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives Charlotte a "high" Data Confidence level and Ella a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Charlotte

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #345 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1989–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2012 (recorded 1989–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #25 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Ella

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1993–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #46 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls