Ella vs Hazel
Ella and Hazelcompared 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, Ella was ranked #11 and Hazel #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ella was ranked #9 and Hazel #10 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Hazel #97 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #12 and Hazel #169 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Hazel #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #39 and Hazel #75 among girls in England and Wales.
Ella and Hazel over time
Ella and Hazel appear together in 5 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Hazel 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.
Ella reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Hazel 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Ella moved ahead of Hazel in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #176 and #78 the year before became #94 and #124.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Hazel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #17 and #55.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Ella #7 in 2022, Hazel #8 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1970–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Hazel in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Hazel #44 in 2024.
The order changed in 1998: Ella moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #176 and #78; by 1998 that had become #94 and #124.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Hazel #55.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Hazel #75 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Hazel #75.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 2008–2023
Ella held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Hazel in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2008, Hazel #10 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ella #9, Hazel #10.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls12 shared years, 2014–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Hazel in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ella #7 in 2022, Hazel #8 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #11, Hazel #8.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2008–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Hazel #169 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #12, Hazel #169.
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 | Hazel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From the English word for the hazel tree, or the light brown colour associated with it, ultimately from Old English 'hæsel'. Created as a given name in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive form | English (nature name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.ə/ | /ˈheɪ.zəl/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ella is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive form origin, while Hazel is recorded with a English (nature name) origin.
- Ella and Hazel both have 2 syllables.
- Ella's recorded meaning differs from Hazel'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
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
Hazel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls