Elen vs Ella
Elen and Ellacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Elen was ranked #502 and Ella #3 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Elen was ranked #910 and Ella #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elen was ranked #4192 and Ella #39 among girls in England and Wales.
Elen and Ella over time
Elen and Ella appear together in 2 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Elen in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Elen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ella in none. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elen and Ella changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2023, ending at #502 and #3.
- Mirrored each other
Over 46 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ella rose about as far as Elen fell — from #300 and #137 in 1945 to #502 and #3 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Elen and Ella were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 46 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #502 and #3.
List by list
Norway · Girls46 shared years, 1945–2023
Elen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ella in 37.
Highest recorded here: Elen #287 in 1948, Ella #3 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elen #502, Ella #3.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ella in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elen #625 in 2000, Ella #6 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elen #4192, Ella #39.
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 | Elen | Ella |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen and other names beginning with 'El-', also used as a short form of names ending in '-ella'. Widely used across Scandinavian and Germanic languages as well as English. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, diminutive form |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɛl.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ella has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive form); Elen does not have one recorded yet.
- Elen and Ella both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; Elen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #300 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2023
Highest recorded position: #287 among girls in Norway, in 1948 (recorded 1945–2023).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Ella
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #137 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls