Elise vs Selma
Elise and Selmacompared 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 Selma #11 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Elise was ranked #192 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elise was ranked #320 and Selma #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Elise and Selma over time
Elise and Selma appear together in 2 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Elise held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Selma 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.
Elise reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Selma 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Selma moved ahead of Elise in Norway · Girls — #34 and #39 the year before became #42 and #16.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elise and Selma changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #63 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Elise and Selma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 67 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #63 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Girls67 shared years, 1945–2025
Elise held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Selma in 16.
Highest recorded here: Elise #23 in 2001, Selma #5 in 2024.
The order changed in 2017: Selma moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #34 and #39; by 2017 that had become #42 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #63, Selma #11.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Elise held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Selma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elise #96 in 2002, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elise #320, Selma #2000.
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 | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Elizabeth, used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /eˈliː.seh/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #63 (2025) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission); Selma does not have one recorded yet.
- Elise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Selma.
- A meaning is recorded for Elise; Selma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
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
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 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: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls