Elise vs Heidi
Elise and Heidicompared 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, Elise was ranked #63 and Heidi #437 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elise was ranked #337 and Heidi #65 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2012, Elise was ranked #96 and Heidi #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elise was ranked #381 and Heidi #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elise was ranked #188 and Heidi #95 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elise was ranked #320 and Heidi #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Elise and Heidi over time
Elise and Heidi appear together in 4 published lists, across 165 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Elise in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Elise reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Heidi 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2007, Heidi moved ahead of Elise in England and Wales · Girls — #125 and #182 the year before became #143 and #131.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Heidi rose about as far as Elise fell — from #175 and #218 in 1996 to #320 and #107 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Elise and Heidi were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #63 and #437.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Elise held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Heidi in 44.
Highest recorded here: Elise #23 in 2001, Heidi #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1991: Elise moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #51 and #48; by 1991 that had become #43 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #63, Heidi #437.
Republic of Ireland · Girls30 shared years, 1983–2025
Elise held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Heidi in 24.
Highest recorded here: Elise #132 in 2014, Heidi #74 in 2019.
The order changed in 2005: Heidi moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #340 and #370; by 2005 that had become #320 and #263.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #381, Heidi #91.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elise held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Heidi in 18.
Highest recorded here: Elise #96 in 2002, Heidi #76 in 2016.
The order changed in 2007: Heidi moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #125 and #182; by 2007 that had become #143 and #131.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elise #320, Heidi #107.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1997–2024
Elise held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Heidi in 21.
Highest recorded here: Elise #160 in 2010, Heidi #48 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elise #337, Heidi #65.
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 | Elise | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Elizabeth, used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages. | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | /eˈliː.seh/ | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #63 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Elise is recorded with a Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission origin, while Heidi is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid origin.
- Elise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Heidi.
- Elise's recorded meaning differs from Heidi's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Elise
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #223 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: #23 among girls in Norway, in 2001 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #63 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls