Donna vs Elle
Donna and Ellecompared 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 2004, Donna was ranked #372 and Elle #139 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #736 and Elle #243 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Elle #583 among girls in England and Wales.
Donna and Elle over time
Donna and Elle appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Elle held the stronger position in more years in 2 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 2 of those lists, and Elle 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 2002, Elle moved ahead of Donna in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #217 and #266 the year before became #331 and #189.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Elle in 29.
Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Elle #93 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #5891, Elle #583.
Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 1998–2024
Donna held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Elle in 15.
Highest recorded here: Donna #148 in 1998, Elle #160 in 2005.
The order changed in 2002: Elle moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #217 and #266; by 2002 that had become #331 and #189.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #736, Elle #243.
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 | Elle |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #189 (2025) |
| 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 Elle both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Elle
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #628 among girls in Norway in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #89 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #342 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls