Dylan vs Elijah
Dylan and Elijahcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Dylan was ranked #80 and Elijah #11 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Dylan was ranked #91 and Elijah #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #64 and Elijah #23 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #154 and Elijah #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dylan was ranked #69 and Elijah #97 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #104 and Elijah #76 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2019, Dylan was ranked #1562 and Elijah #5591 among girls in England and Wales.
Dylan and Elijah over time
Dylan and Elijah appear together in 5 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Dylan held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Elijah in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Dylan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Elijah 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 took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Elijah moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2013 as Dylan fell out of it to #65, having been #32 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Elijah moved ahead of Dylan in England and Wales · Boys — #40 and #41 the year before became #43 and #41.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Dylan and Elijah averaged 42.6 places apart, ending at #80 and #11.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Elijah in 7.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #16 in 2010, Elijah #23 in 2024.
The order changed in 2018: Elijah moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #40 and #41; by 2018 that had become #43 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #64, Elijah #23.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Dylan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Elijah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #8 in 2001, Elijah #97 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dylan #69, Elijah #97.
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 1997–2020
Dylan held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Elijah in 10.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #14 in 1999, Elijah #11 in 2020.
The order changed in 2011: Elijah moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #30 and #52; by 2011 that had become #39 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Dylan #80, Elijah #11.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1999–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Elijah in 4.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #8 in 2008, Elijah #52 in 2023.
The order changed in 2021: Elijah moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #68 and #71; by 2021 that had become #81 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #154, Elijah #57.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys19 shared years, 2003–2022
Dylan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Elijah in 9.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #16 in 2003, Elijah #9 in 2020.
The order changed in 2013: Elijah moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #32 and #47; by 2013 that had become #65 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dylan #91, Elijah #13.
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 | Dylan | Elijah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. |
| Origin | Welsh | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪlən/ | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dylan is recorded with a Welsh origin, while Elijah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Dylan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Elijah.
- Dylan's recorded meaning differs from Elijah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Elijah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys