Elena vs Tabitha
Elena and Tabithacompared 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, Elena was ranked #146 and Tabitha #279 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elena was ranked #171 and Tabitha #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elena was ranked #189 and Tabitha #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elena was ranked #192 and Tabitha #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Elena and Tabitha over time
Elena and Tabitha appear together in 3 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Elena held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tabitha in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Tabitha reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Elena 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elena and Tabitha changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #146 and #279.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Elena and Tabitha averaged 50.4 places apart, ending at #146 and #279.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elena held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Tabitha in 9.
Highest recorded here: Elena #132 in 2018, Tabitha #177 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elena #146, Tabitha #279.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2001–2025
Elena held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Tabitha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elena #117 in 2014, Tabitha #606 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elena #189, Tabitha #885.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1998–2024
Elena held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Tabitha in 1.
Highest recorded here: Elena #122 in 2017, Tabitha #281 in 2020.
The order changed in 2011: Elena moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #324 and #283; by 2011 that had become #277 and #444.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elena #192, Tabitha #407.
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 | Tabitha |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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, GB-SCT, 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 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elena has a recorded origin (Greek); Tabitha does not have one recorded yet.
- Elena and Tabitha both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Elena; Tabitha doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #63 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Tabitha
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #282 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #177 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls