Elizabeth vs Samantha
Elizabeth and Samanthacompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 2015, Elizabeth was ranked #36 and Samantha #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2013, Elizabeth was ranked #43 and Samantha #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #74 and Samantha #778 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #76 and Samantha #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #113 and Samantha #541 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Elizabeth was ranked #116 and Samantha #446 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #484 and Samantha #511 among girls in Norway.
Elizabeth and Samantha over time
Elizabeth and Samantha appear together in 6 published lists, across 239 years of shared records. Elizabeth held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Samantha in 1.
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, and Samantha 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elizabeth and Samantha changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1966 and 2013, ending at #43 and #84.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 48 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Elizabeth and Samantha averaged 15.5 places apart, ending at #43 and #84.
- Longest-running competitions
Elizabeth and Samantha were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #74 and #778.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Elizabeth #26 in 1996, Samantha #32 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #26 and #32 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #74 and #778.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Samantha in 1.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #5 in 1969, Samantha #33 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #76, Samantha #885.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls48 shared years, 1966–2013
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Samantha in 23.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #14 in 1967, Samantha #3 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Elizabeth #43, Samantha #84.
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1969–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Samantha in 6.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #208 in 1988, Samantha #298 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #484, Samantha #511.
New Zealand · Girls37 shared years, 1978–2015
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Samantha in 25.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #14 in 1984, Samantha #3 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Elizabeth #36, Samantha #85.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Samantha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #26 in 1996, Samantha #32 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #74, Samantha #778.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2021
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Samantha in 3.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #55 in 1997, Samantha #57 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Elizabeth #116, Samantha #446.
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 | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| 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 #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 76/100 |
| 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 Samantha is recorded with a Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) origin.
- Elizabeth has 4 syllables, compared with 3 for Samantha.
- Elizabeth's recorded meaning differs from Samantha'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
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls