Elin vs May
Elin and Maycompared 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 2025, Elin was ranked #263 and May #481 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elin was ranked #722 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elin was ranked #885 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Elin and May over time
Elin and May appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Elin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, May 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elin and May changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #722 and #610.
- Longest-running competitions
Elin and May were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #263 and #481.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1945 they stood at #41 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #263 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025
Elin held the stronger position in 74 of those years, May in 6.
Highest recorded here: Elin #4 in 1974, May #24 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elin #263, May #481.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elin held the stronger position in 16 of those years, May in 13.
Highest recorded here: Elin #349 in 1999, May #325 in 2007.
The order changed in 2023: May moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #576 and #630; by 2023 that had become #888 and #637.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elin #722, May #610.
Republic of Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2010–2025
Elin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, May in 8.
Highest recorded here: Elin #524 in 2017, May #289 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elin #885, May #718.
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 | Elin | May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #263 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elin
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #41 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #263 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls