Namewise

Eileen vs Elaine

Eileen and Elainecompared 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 1997, Eileen was ranked #314 and Elaine #241 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Eileen was ranked #443 and Elaine #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Eileen was ranked #855 and Elaine #1160 among girls in England and Wales.

Eileen and Elaine over time

Eileen and Elaine appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 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 1 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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Eileen and Elaine changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #855 and #1160.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Eileen and Elaine were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #443 and #608.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025

    Eileen held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Elaine in 39.

    Highest recorded here: Eileen #17 in 1964, Elaine #6 in 1982.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Eileen #443, Elaine #608.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Eileen held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Elaine in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Eileen #855 in 2024, Elaine #823 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2019: Eileen moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #2090 and #1977; by 2019 that had become #1316 and #1782.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Eileen #855, Elaine #1160.

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 Eileen

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

Other comparisons involving Elaine

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

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Eileen, Elaine
FieldEileenElaine
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Eileen has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Elaine.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Eileen

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #324 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 recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Elaine

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #71 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls