Eileen vs Janet
Eileen and Janetcompared 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 2018, Eileen was ranked #336 and Janet #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Eileen was ranked #344 and Janet #344 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1991, Eileen was ranked #432 and Janet #652 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eileen was ranked #855 and Janet #3318 among girls in England and Wales.
Eileen and Janet over time
Eileen and Janet appear together in 3 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Eileen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Janet 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.
Janet reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Eileen 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eileen and Janet changed places 8 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #855 and #3318.
- Longest-running competitions
Eileen and Janet were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 35 years, from 1947 to 1991, ending at #432 and #652.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Eileen #17 in 1964, Janet #86 in 1966.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls43 shared years, 1964–2018
Eileen held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Janet in 0.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #17 in 1964, Janet #86 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Eileen #336, Janet #896.
Norway · Girls35 shared years, 1947–1991
Eileen held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Janet in 15.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #224 in 1972, Janet #239 in 1958.
The order changed in 1983: Eileen moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #393 and #311; by 1983 that had become #354 and #535.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Eileen #432, Janet #652.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eileen held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Janet in 5.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #855 in 2024, Janet #1031 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eileen #855, Janet #3318.
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 | Eileen | Janet |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eileen and Janet both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Eileen
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Janet
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #308 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1966
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1966).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls