Ella vs Phoebe
Ella and Phoebecompared 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 2023, Ella was ranked #9 and Phoebe #56 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Phoebe #46 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #11 and Phoebe #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #12 and Phoebe #30 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #39 and Phoebe #17 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Phoebe #97 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ella and Phoebe over time
Ella and Phoebe appear together in 5 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Phoebe in 0.
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.
Ella reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Phoebe in 2. 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 2022, Phoebe moved ahead of Ella in England and Wales · Girls — #20 and #22 the year before became #25 and #24.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ella and Phoebe averaged 13.5 places apart, ending at #39 and #17.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Phoebe were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 38 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #17 and #97.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls38 shared years, 1985–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Phoebe in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Phoebe #78 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Phoebe #97.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Phoebe in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Phoebe #17 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Phoebe moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #20 and #22; by 2022 that had become #25 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Phoebe #17.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1998–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Phoebe in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2007, Phoebe #39 in 2004.
The order changed in 1999: Ella moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #85 and #79; by 1999 that had become #52 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #11, Phoebe #65.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2023
Ella held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Phoebe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #1 in 2007, Phoebe #45 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ella #9, Phoebe #56.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Phoebe in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Phoebe #30 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #12, Phoebe #30.
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 | Phoebe |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 #65 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ella has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive form); Phoebe does not have one recorded yet.
- Ella and Phoebe both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; Phoebe doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Phoebe
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #519 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls