Elen vs Esther
Elen and Esthercompared 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 2024, Elen was ranked #4192 and Esther #145 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Elen was ranked #502 and Esther #179 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Elen was ranked #910 and Esther #356 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Elen and Esther over time
Elen and Esther appear together in 2 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Esther 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 Esther 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 Esther changed places 16 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2023, ending at #502 and #179.
- Longest-running competitions
Elen and Esther were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 51 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #502 and #179.
List by list
Norway · Girls51 shared years, 1945–2023
Elen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Esther in 42.
Highest recorded here: Elen #287 in 1948, Esther #163 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elen #502, Esther #179.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Esther in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elen #625 in 2000, Esther #141 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elen #4192, Esther #145.
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 | Esther |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) | Norway · Girls #183 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elen and Esther both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Esther
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #211 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #79 among girls in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2013–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #183 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls