Elizabeth vs Saoirse
Elizabeth and Saoirsecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #76 and Saoirse #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #87 and Saoirse #37 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elizabeth was ranked #74 and Saoirse #402 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elizabeth was ranked #113 and Saoirse #196 among girls in Scotland.
Elizabeth and Saoirse over time
Elizabeth and Saoirse appear together in 3 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Saoirse held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Elizabeth in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, and Saoirse 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 Republic of Ireland · Girls, Saoirse moved into the top 50 at #37 in 1998 as Elizabeth fell out of it to #59, having been #42 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Saoirse moved ahead of Elizabeth in Northern Ireland · Girls — #86 and #106 the year before became #99 and #88.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elizabeth and Saoirse changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #87 and #37.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Elizabeth and Saoirse averaged 52.7 places apart, ending at #87 and #37.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Saoirse rose about as far as Elizabeth fell — from #55 and #139 in 1997 to #87 and #37 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Elizabeth and Saoirse were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #74 and #402.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1971–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Saoirse in 28.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #6 in 1972, Saoirse #12 in 2016.
The order changed in 1998: Saoirse moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #42 and #44; by 1998 that had become #59 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #76, Saoirse #17.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Saoirse in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #26 in 1996, Saoirse #307 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elizabeth #74, Saoirse #402.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Elizabeth held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Saoirse in 15.
Highest recorded here: Elizabeth #55 in 1997, Saoirse #37 in 2023.
The order changed in 2015: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #86 and #106; by 2015 that had become #99 and #88.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elizabeth #87, Saoirse #37.
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 | Saoirse |
|---|---|---|
| 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 'freedom' in Irish; first adopted as a given name in the 20th century, reportedly with nationalist/political resonance given the meaning. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | /ˈsˠiːɾˠʃə/ |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #74 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 82/100 |
| 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 Saoirse is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Elizabeth has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Saoirse.
- Elizabeth's recorded meaning differs from Saoirse's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Saoirse
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls