Elaine vs Linda
Elaine and Lindacompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1958, Elaine was ranked #94 and Linda #7 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1955, Elaine was ranked #94 and Linda #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Elaine was ranked #213 and Linda #301 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elaine was ranked #608 and Linda #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elaine was ranked #1133 and Linda #1892 among girls in England and Wales.
Elaine and Linda over time
Elaine and Linda appear together in 2 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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
Elaine and Linda changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #1133 and #1892.
- Longest-running competitions
Elaine and Linda were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1133 and #1892.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Elaine #823 in 1996, Linda #638 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2025
Elaine held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Linda in 16.
Highest recorded here: Elaine #6 in 1982, Linda #13 in 1973.
The order changed in 2022: Elaine moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #883 and #517; by 2022 that had become #559 and #747.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elaine #608, Linda #718.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elaine held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Linda in 26.
Highest recorded here: Elaine #823 in 1996, Linda #638 in 1997.
The order changed in 2024: Elaine moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1705 and #1206; by 2024 that had become #1160 and #1406.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elaine #1133, Linda #1892.
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 | Elaine | Linda |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| 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
- Elaine has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Linda.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Elaine
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1133 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Linda
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #329 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 1975 (recorded 1945–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1892 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls