Deborah vs Ellen
Deborah 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 2012, Deborah was ranked #451 and Ellen #59 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #608 and Ellen #166 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #429 and Ellen #208 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Ellen #541 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Ellen #736 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Ellen over time
Deborah and Ellen appear together in 4 published lists, across 128 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Deborah 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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ellen 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Ellen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #608 and #166.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Ellen #63 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Ellen in 38.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Ellen #23 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #608, Ellen #166.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Ellen in 27.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Ellen #63 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Deborah moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #857 and #785; by 2023 that had become #657 and #962.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Ellen #736.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1953–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ellen in 29.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #368 in 1957, Ellen #22 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #429, Ellen #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2012
Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ellen in 11.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #116 in 1997, Ellen #21 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Deborah #451, Ellen #59.
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 | Deborah | Ellen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Ellen does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ellen.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Ellen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 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 recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #429 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
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