Ellen vs Ida
Ellen and Idacompared 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, Ellen was ranked #208 and Ida #37 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #150 and Ida #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #166 and Ida #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Ida #337 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #541 and Ida #384 among girls in Scotland.
Ellen and Ida over time
Ellen and Ida appear together in 4 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ida in 1.
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.
Ellen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Ida 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 1979, Ida moved ahead of Ellen in Norway · Girls — #47 and #49 the year before became #50 and #41.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and Ida were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #208 and #37.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ellen #27 in 1964, Ida #325 in 1965.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ida in 47.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #15 in 1955, Ida #1 in 1988.
The order changed in 1979: Ida moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #47 and #49; by 1979 that had become #50 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #208, Ida #37.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Ida in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Ida #257 in 2021.
The order changed in 2015: Ida moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #348 and #516; by 2015 that had become #384 and #361.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Ida #337.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1964–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Ida in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #27 in 1964, Ida #325 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #166, Ida #885.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ida in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #60 in 2014, Ida #178 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #150, Ida #337.
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 | Ida |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly traced to a Germanic element possibly meaning 'work' or 'labour'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːdɑ/ | |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) | Norway · Girls #37 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ida has a recorded origin (Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition); Ellen does not have one recorded yet.
- Ellen and Ida both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ida; Ellen 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
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
Ida
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #204 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: #1 among girls in Norway, in 1988 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #37 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls