Eithne vs Rachel
Eithne and Rachelcompared 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 2013, Eithne was ranked #894 and Rachel #43 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2015, Eithne was ranked #3252 and Rachel #272 among girls in England and Wales.
Eithne and Rachel over time
Eithne and Rachel appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Rachel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Eithne 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1967, Rachel moved ahead of Eithne in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #119 and #123 the year before became #140 and #109.
- Longest-running competitions
Eithne and Rachel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 39 years, from 1964 to 2013, ending at #894 and #43.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Eithne #2407 in 1998, Rachel #27 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 1964–2013
Eithne held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Rachel in 36.
Highest recorded here: Eithne #119 in 1966, Rachel #6 in 1997.
The order changed in 1967: Rachel moved ahead. In 1966 they stood at #119 and #123; by 1967 that had become #140 and #109.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Eithne #894, Rachel #43.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 1996–2015
Eithne held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rachel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Eithne #2407 in 1998, Rachel #27 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Eithne #3252, Rachel #272.
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 | Eithne | Rachel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3252 (2015) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rachel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel); Eithne does not have one recorded yet.
- Eithne and Rachel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Rachel; Eithne doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Eithne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #126 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2013
Highest recorded position: #119 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2013).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2015
Most recently recorded at #3252 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015.
England and Wales · Girls
Rachel
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #186 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls