Ela vs Iona
Ela and Ionacompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ela was ranked #638 and Iona #83 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Ela was ranked #440 and Iona #255 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ela was ranked #670 and Iona #451 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ela was ranked #625 and Iona #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ela and Iona over time
Ela and Iona appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Iona held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ela in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ela held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Iona in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ela #372 in 2011, Iona #199 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ela #670, Iona #451.
Republic of Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2010–2023
Ela held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Iona in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ela #550 in 2011, Iona #560 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ela #625, Iona #856.
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 | Ela | Iona |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #431 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ela and Iona both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ela
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1031 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #372 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #670 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Iona
Popularity journey
First recorded1988
First recorded at #492 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1988 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls