Ella vs Elsa
Ella and Elsacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #4 and Elsa #134 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Elsa #541 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Ella was ranked #10 and Elsa #397 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Elsa #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #39 and Elsa #558 among girls in England and Wales.
Ella and Elsa over time
Ella and Elsa appear together in 4 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Elsa in 0.
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.
Elsa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Ella 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
Ella and Elsa changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #4 and #134.
- Mirrored each other
Over 71 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ella rose about as far as Elsa fell — from #137 and #55 in 1945 to #4 and #134 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Elsa were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 71 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #4 and #134.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ella #6 in 2015, Elsa #104 in 2014.
List by list
Norway · Girls71 shared years, 1945–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Elsa in 35.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2019, Elsa #55 in 1945.
The order changed in 1994: Ella moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #351 and #334; by 1994 that had become #269 and #404.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #4, Elsa #134.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Elsa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Elsa #104 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Elsa #558.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Elsa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Elsa #158 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Elsa #608.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2003–2020
Ella held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Elsa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Elsa #171 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Ella #10, Elsa #397.
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 | Ella | Elsa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen and other names beginning with 'El-', also used as a short form of names ending in '-ella'. Widely used across Scandinavian and Germanic languages as well as English. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) | Norway · Girls #134 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ella has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive form); Elsa does not have one recorded yet.
- Ella and Elsa both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; Elsa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ella
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #137 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Elsa
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #55 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: #55 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #134 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls