Ellen vs Heidi
Ellen and Heidicompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #150 and Heidi #65 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #166 and Heidi #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #541 and Heidi #95 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Heidi #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #208 and Heidi #437 among girls in Norway.
Ellen and Heidi over time
Ellen and Heidi appear together in 4 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ellen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Heidi 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 2007, Heidi moved ahead of Ellen in England and Wales · Girls — #159 and #182 the year before became #169 and #131.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ellen and Heidi changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #208 and #437.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ellen and Heidi averaged 58.6 places apart, ending at #208 and #437.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and Heidi were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #208 and #437.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Heidi in 45.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #15 in 1955, Heidi #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #208, Heidi #437.
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1968–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Heidi in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #23 in 2002, Heidi #74 in 2019.
The order changed in 2019: Heidi moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #78 and #94; by 2019 that had become #86 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #166, Heidi #91.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Heidi in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Heidi #76 in 2016.
The order changed in 2007: Heidi moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #159 and #182; by 2007 that had become #169 and #131.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Heidi #107.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Heidi in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #21 in 2000, Heidi #48 in 2021.
The order changed in 2015: Heidi moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #60 and #99; by 2015 that had become #90 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #150, Heidi #65.
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 | Ellen | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ | |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Heidi has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid); Ellen does not have one recorded yet.
- Ellen and Heidi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Heidi; Ellen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ellen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #29 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: #15 among girls in Norway, in 1955 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls