Ella vs Zoe
Ella and Zoecompared 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 Zoe #313 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ella was ranked #9 and Zoe #24 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Zoe #76 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #11 and Zoe #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #12 and Zoe #105 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Zoe #46 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #46 and Zoe #104 among girls in England and Wales.
Ella and Zoe over time
Ella and Zoe appear together in 6 published lists, across 190 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Zoe in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 4 of those lists, Zoe 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 1998, Ella moved ahead of Zoe in England and Wales · Girls — #44 and #31 the year before became #38 and #45.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ella and Zoe changed places 7 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1998 and 2025, ending at #11 and #19.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Ella and Zoe averaged 9.3 places apart, ending at #11 and #19.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Zoe were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #46 and #104.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Ella #3 in 2019, Zoe #211 in 2020.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1970–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Zoe in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Zoe #26 in 2016.
The order changed in 2002: Ella moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #48 and #42; by 2002 that had become #28 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Zoe #46.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Zoe in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Zoe #31 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Ella moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #44 and #31; by 1998 that had become #38 and #45.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #46, Zoe #104.
New Zealand · Girls30 shared years, 1993–2023
Ella held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Zoe in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ella #1 in 2007, Zoe #11 in 2010.
The order changed in 1998: Ella moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #36 and #29; by 1998 that had become #19 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ella #9, Zoe #24.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1998–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Zoe in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2007, Zoe #8 in 2015.
The order changed in 2021: Ella moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #14 and #10; by 2021 that had become #10 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #11, Zoe #19.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Zoe in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Zoe #32 in 2002.
The order changed in 2003: Ella moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #45 and #32; by 2003 that had become #28 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #12, Zoe #105.
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1993–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Zoe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2019, Zoe #211 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #4, Zoe #313.
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 | Zoe |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Means 'life' in Greek. |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive form | Ancient Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.ə/ | /ˈzoʊi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive form origin, while Zoe is recorded with a Ancient Greek origin.
- Ella has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Zoe.
- Ella's recorded meaning differs from Zoe's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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 #46 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Zoe
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2015 (recorded 1981–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #104 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls