Eileen vs Leigh
Eileen and Leighcompared 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 2009, Eileen was ranked #364 and Leigh #419 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Eileen was ranked #396 and Leigh #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Eileen was ranked #1069 and Leigh #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Eileen and Leigh over time
Eileen and Leigh appear together in 2 published lists, across 66 years of shared records. Eileen held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Leigh 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.
Eileen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Leigh 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Eileen and Leigh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 40 years, from 1969 to 2017, ending at #396 and #873.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Eileen #916 in 1996, Leigh #296 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1969–2017
Eileen held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Leigh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #26 in 1969, Leigh #206 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Eileen #396, Leigh #873.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2021
Eileen held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Leigh in 13.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #916 in 1996, Leigh #296 in 1996.
The order changed in 2009: Eileen moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #1391 and #1135; by 2009 that had become #1467 and #1837.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Eileen #1069, Leigh #5581.
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 | Leigh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 71/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eileen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leigh.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Leigh
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–1983
Highest recorded position: #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1983 (recorded 1981–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys