Elizabeth vs Maria
Elizabeth and Mariacompared 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 1985, Elizabeth was ranked #17 and Maria #95 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #484 and Maria #61 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2016, Elizabeth was ranked #71 and Maria #78 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #74 and Maria #88 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #76 and Maria #74 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #87 and Maria #97 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #113 and Maria #120 among girls in Scotland.
Elizabeth and Maria over time
Elizabeth and Maria appear together in 6 published lists, across 288 years of shared records. Elizabeth held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Maria in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Elizabeth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Maria 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elizabeth and Maria changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 2016, ending at #71 and #78.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Elizabeth and Maria averaged 48.2 places apart, ending at #74 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Elizabeth and Maria were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #74 and #88.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Elizabeth #5 in 1969, Maria #23 in 1967.
List by list
Norway · Girls79 shared years, 1945–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maria in 79.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #154 in 1968, Maria #3 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #484, Maria #61.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Maria in 27.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #5 in 1969, Maria #23 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #76, Maria #74.
New Zealand · Girls56 shared years, 1954–2016
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Maria in 2.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #7 in 1954, Maria #21 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Elizabeth #71, Maria #78.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls33 shared years, 1952–1985
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Maria in 1.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #10 in 1952, Maria #13 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Elizabeth #17, Maria #95.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Maria in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #26 in 1996, Maria #66 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #74, Maria #88.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Maria in 20.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #55 in 1997, Maria #49 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #87, Maria #97.
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 | Maria |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | /mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #74 (2025) | Norway · Girls #62 (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 Maria is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission origin.
- Elizabeth has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Maria.
- Elizabeth's recorded meaning differs from Maria'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
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
Maria
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #126 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: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls