Elijah vs Hugo
Elijah and Hugocompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #7 and Hugo #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Elijah was ranked #13 and Hugo #23 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #23 and Hugo #46 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #97 and Hugo #42 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #57 and Hugo #81 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #76 and Hugo #135 among boys in Scotland.
Elijah and Hugo over time
Elijah and Hugo appear together in 5 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Elijah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hugo in 1.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, Elijah moved ahead of Hugo in England and Wales · Boys — #179 and #175 the year before became #168 and #173.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Elijah and Hugo averaged 36.3 places apart, ending at #23 and #46.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Elijah #7 in 2025, Hugo #18 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Hugo in 8.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #23 in 2024, Hugo #45 in 2021.
The order changed in 2004: Elijah moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #179 and #175; by 2004 that had become #168 and #173.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #23, Hugo #46.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hugo in 26.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #97 in 2025, Hugo #42 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #97, Hugo #42.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2007–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Hugo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #52 in 2023, Hugo #67 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #57, Hugo #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Hugo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #7 in 2025, Hugo #18 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #7, Hugo #18.
New Zealand · Boys13 shared years, 2009–2023
Elijah held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Hugo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #11 in 2020, Hugo #23 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elijah #13, Hugo #23.
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 | Elijah | Hugo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ | |
| 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 · Boys #7 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #18 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elijah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Hugo does not have one recorded yet.
- Elijah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Hugo.
- A meaning is recorded for Elijah; Hugo 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
Elijah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Hugo
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #186 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys