Eleanor vs Rachel
Eleanor 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Eleanor was ranked #56 and Rachel #394 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Eleanor was ranked #106 and Rachel #186 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Eleanor was ranked #113 and Rachel #431 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Eleanor was ranked #193 and Rachel #142 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Eleanor and Rachel over time
Eleanor and Rachel appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Rachel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Eleanor in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Rachel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Eleanor 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Eleanor and Rachel were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #56 and #394.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #22 and #27 in England and Wales · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #56 and #394.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Eleanor held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Rachel in 55.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #93 in 1968, Rachel #6 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eleanor #106, Rachel #186.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Eleanor held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Rachel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #18 in 1999, Rachel #27 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eleanor #56, Rachel #394.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Eleanor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rachel in 26.
Highest recorded here: Eleanor #139 in 2021, Rachel #7 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Eleanor #193, Rachel #142.
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 | 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 | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (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
- Rachel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel); Eleanor does not have one recorded yet.
- Eleanor has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rachel.
- A meaning is recorded for Rachel; 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
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 #394 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls