Ella vs Nancy
Ella and Nancycompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Nancy #260 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #12 and Nancy #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2011, Ella was ranked #15 and Nancy #482 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Nancy #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #39 and Nancy #81 among girls in England and Wales.
Ella and Nancy over time
Ella and Nancy appear together in 4 published lists, across 142 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Nancy 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 3 of those lists, Nancy 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 Nancy changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2011, ending at #15 and #482.
- Mirrored each other
Over 53 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ella rose about as far as Nancy fell — from #137 and #249 in 1945 to #15 and #482 in 2011.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Nancy were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 53 years, from 1945 to 2011, ending at #15 and #482.
List by list
Norway · Girls53 shared years, 1945–2011
Ella held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Nancy in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ella #15 in 2011, Nancy #157 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ella #15, Nancy #482.
Republic of Ireland · Girls42 shared years, 1970–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Nancy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Nancy #99 in 2025.
The order changed in 1986: Ella moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #456 and #386; by 1986 that had become #356 and #458.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Nancy #99.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nancy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Nancy #64 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Nancy #81.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2004–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Nancy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Nancy #95 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #12, Nancy #127.
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 | Nancy |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #99 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive form); Nancy does not have one recorded yet.
- Ella and Nancy both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; Nancy 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
Nancy
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #249 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #64 among girls in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls