Elizabeth vs Erin
Elizabeth and Erincompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #87 and Erin #25 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2004, Elizabeth was ranked #41 and Erin #96 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2011, Elizabeth was ranked #44 and Erin #81 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #76 and Erin #71 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #74 and Erin #72 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #113 and Erin #72 among girls in Scotland.
Elizabeth and Erin over time
Elizabeth and Erin appear together in 5 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Elizabeth held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Erin in 2.
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.
Elizabeth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Erin 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 2000, Erin moved ahead of Elizabeth in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #57 and #79 the year before became #57 and #49.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elizabeth and Erin changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #74 and #72.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Elizabeth and Erin averaged 12.6 places apart, ending at #74 and #72.
- Longest-running competitions
Elizabeth and Erin were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #74 and #72.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Elizabeth #15 in 1986, Erin #11 in 1984.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1975–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Erin in 26.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #9 in 1975, Erin #34 in 2006.
The order changed in 2000: Erin moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #57 and #79; by 2000 that had become #57 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #76, Erin #71.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls32 shared years, 1977–2011
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Erin in 3.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #15 in 1986, Erin #11 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Elizabeth #44, Erin #81.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Erin in 13.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #26 in 1996, Erin #27 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #74, Erin #72.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Erin in 28.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #55 in 1997, Erin #5 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #87, Erin #25.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1975–2004
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Erin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #14 in 1984, Erin #36 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Elizabeth #41, Erin #96.
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 | Elizabeth | Erin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the Greek Elisabet, from Hebrew Elisheva, combining 'el' (God) with 'shava' ('oath') — 'my God is an oath'. Appears in the Old Testament as Elisheba, Aaron's wife, and in the New Testament as the mother of John the Baptist. | An Anglicized form of Éireann, the Irish name for Ireland itself. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | /ˈɛɹ.ɪn/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #74 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elizabeth is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Erin is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Elizabeth has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Erin.
- Elizabeth's recorded meaning differs from Erin's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Elizabeth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #341 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #74 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Erin
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #89 among girls in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #72 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls