Donna vs Elen
Donna and Elencompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Donna was ranked #555 and Elen #910 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Elen #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Elen over time
Donna and Elen appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Elen held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Donna 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.
Donna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Elen 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Elen in 24.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Elen #625 in 2000.
The order changed in 2021: Elen moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #3447 and #3899; by 2021 that had become #4634 and #2073.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Elen #4192.
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 | Donna | Elen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Donna and Elen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Donna
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Elen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #300 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2023
Highest recorded position: #287 among girls in Norway, in 1948 (recorded 1945–2023).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls