Eleanor vs Evelyn
Eleanor and Evelyncompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Eleanor was ranked #56 and Evelyn #12 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Eleanor was ranked #52 and Evelyn #12 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Eleanor was ranked #31 and Evelyn #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Eleanor was ranked #150 and Evelyn #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Eleanor was ranked #106 and Evelyn #94 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Eleanor was ranked #113 and Evelyn #120 among girls in Scotland.
Eleanor and Evelyn over time
Eleanor and Evelyn appear together in 5 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Evelyn held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Eleanor in 1.
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.
Eleanor reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Evelyn 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Evelyn moved ahead of Eleanor in England and Wales · Girls — #59 and #65 the year before became #63 and #57.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eleanor and Evelyn changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #150 and #75.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Eleanor and Evelyn averaged 41.9 places apart, ending at #106 and #94.
- Mirrored each other
Over 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Evelyn rose about as far as Eleanor fell — from #22 and #402 in 1996 to #56 and #12 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Eleanor and Evelyn were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #56 and #12.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Eleanor #31 in 2025, Evelyn #8 in 2023.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Eleanor held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Evelyn in 33.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #93 in 1968, Evelyn #76 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eleanor #106, Evelyn #94.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Eleanor held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Evelyn in 14.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #18 in 1999, Evelyn #12 in 2025.
The order changed in 2012: Evelyn moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #59 and #65; by 2012 that had become #63 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eleanor #56, Evelyn #12.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2024
Eleanor held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Evelyn in 13.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #139 in 2021, Evelyn #75 in 2024.
The order changed in 2014: Evelyn moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #255 and #440; by 2014 that had become #314 and #156.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eleanor #150, Evelyn #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls12 shared years, 2014–2025
Eleanor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Evelyn in 12.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #31 in 2025, Evelyn #8 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eleanor #31, Evelyn #13.
New Zealand · Girls9 shared years, 2015–2023
Eleanor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Evelyn in 9.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #50 in 2022, Evelyn #12 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Eleanor #52, Evelyn #12.
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 | Eleanor | Evelyn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From an English surname derived from the given name Aveline. Originally more common for boys in the 17th century, now used almost entirely as a feminine name. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛv.ə.lɪn/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #31 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Evelyn has a recorded origin (English (surname origin)); Eleanor does not have one recorded yet.
- Eleanor and Evelyn both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Evelyn; Eleanor doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Eleanor
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #98 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in England and Wales, in 1999 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Evelyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #121 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2011–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2011–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls