Elisa vs Wendy
Elisa and Wendycompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Elisa was ranked #203 and Wendy #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2009, Elisa was ranked #283 and Wendy #581 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elisa was ranked #376 and Wendy #1809 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elisa was ranked #638 and Wendy #541 among girls in Scotland.
Elisa and Wendy over time
Elisa and Wendy appear together in 3 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Elisa held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Wendy 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.
Wendy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Elisa 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
Elisa and Wendy changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1959 and 2009, ending at #283 and #581.
- Longest-running competitions
Elisa and Wendy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #376 and #1809.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elisa held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Wendy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Elisa #330 in 2016, Wendy #820 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elisa #376, Wendy #1809.
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 1959–2009
Elisa held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Wendy in 5.
Highest recorded here: Elisa #213 in 2005, Wendy #391 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Elisa #283, Wendy #581.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1972–2022
Elisa held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Wendy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Elisa #203 in 2022, Wendy #108 in 1977.
The order changed in 2012: Elisa moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #862 and #862; by 2012 that had become #371 and #907.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Elisa #203, Wendy #502.
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 | Elisa | Wendy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Popularized by J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, where the character's name was created from the nickname 'fwendy' ('friend') given to Barrie by a young friend. Occasionally appeared before the play and may relate to Welsh names beginning with 'gwen' ('white, blessed'), though the name only became common after Barrie's play. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɛn.di/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #249 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1809 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Wendy has a recorded origin (Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection); Elisa does not have one recorded yet.
- Elisa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Wendy.
- A meaning is recorded for Wendy; Elisa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elisa
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #454 among girls in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1959–2025
Highest recorded position: #167 among girls in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1959–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #376 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Wendy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1981
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1954–1981).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1809 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls