Elena vs Keela
Elena and Keelacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Elena was ranked #130 and Keela #361 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elena was ranked #146 and Keela #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elena was ranked #189 and Keela #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Elena and Keela over time
Elena and Keela appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Elena held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Keela in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Keela reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Elena 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1998–2025
Elena held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Keela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elena #117 in 2014, Keela #206 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elena #189, Keela #885.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 2002–2024
Elena held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Keela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elena #132 in 2018, Keela #2137 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elena #146, Keela #5891.
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 | Elena | Keela |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Often glossed as 'torch' or 'bright, shining light', though this is genuinely contested. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛlənə/ (also /eɪˈleɪnə/) | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Helena, Elena, Lena | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #42 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elena has a recorded origin (Greek); Keela does not have one recorded yet.
- Elena has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Keela.
- A meaning is recorded for Elena; Keela doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Elena
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #370 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2017–2025
Highest recorded position: #56 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2019 (recorded 2017–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Keela
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #319 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #206 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1998–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls