Elizabeth vs Layla
Elizabeth and Laylacompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #83 and Layla #35 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #113 and Layla #41 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Elizabeth was ranked #85 and Layla #50 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #62 and Layla #56 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #76 and Layla #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #87 and Layla #91 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Elizabeth and Layla over time
Elizabeth and Layla appear together in 5 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Layla held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Elizabeth in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 5 of those lists, and Layla 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Layla moved into the top 50 at #33 in 2016 as Elizabeth fell out of it to #71, having been #36 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Layla moved ahead of Elizabeth in England and Wales · Girls — #38 and #40 the year before became #44 and #38.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elizabeth and Layla changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #62 and #56.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Elizabeth and Layla averaged 26.6 places apart, ending at #83 and #35.
- Longest-running competitions
Elizabeth and Layla were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #76 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1983–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Layla in 16.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #24 in 1989, Layla #44 in 2016.
The order changed in 2010: Layla moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #64 and #74; by 2010 that had become #60 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #76, Layla #60.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Layla in 13.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #26 in 1996, Layla #29 in 2012.
The order changed in 2017: Layla moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #38 and #40; by 2017 that had become #44 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #62, Layla #56.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Layla in 16.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #32 in 2008, Layla #24 in 2020.
The order changed in 2010: Layla moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #40 and #45; by 2010 that had become #40 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #83, Layla #35.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Layla in 11.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #73 in 2012, Layla #62 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #87, Layla #91.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Layla in 8.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #35 in 2011, Layla #29 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Layla moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #36 and #51; by 2016 that had become #71 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elizabeth #85, Layla #50.
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 | Layla |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Means 'night' in Arabic. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Arabic |
| Pronunciation | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | /ˈleɪlə/ |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #76 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #35 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Layla is recorded with a Arabic origin.
- Elizabeth has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Layla.
- Elizabeth's recorded meaning differs from Layla'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 #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Layla
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #529 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2020 (recorded 2004–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls