Ellen vs Joan
Ellen and Joancompared 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 1993, Ellen was ranked #113 and Joan #644 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #142 and Joan #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Joan #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Ellen and Joan over time
Ellen and Joan appear together in 3 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Joan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ellen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Joan 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
Ellen and Joan changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #142 and #898.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and Joan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #142 and #898.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ellen #63 in 1996, Joan #1287 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #27 and #31 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2024 they were #142 and #898.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Joan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #24 in 1997, Joan #31 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #142, Joan #898.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Joan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Joan #1287 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Joan #1743.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1946–1993
Ellen held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Joan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #22 in 1951, Joan #325 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Ellen #113, Joan #644.
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 | Joan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #898 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ellen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Joan.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, 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
Joan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #351 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1743 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls