Ellen vs Lena
Ellen and Lenacompared 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 Lena #288 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #166 and Lena #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #541 and Lena #207 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #208 and Lena #294 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Lena #283 among girls in England and Wales.
Ellen and Lena over time
Ellen and Lena appear together in 4 published lists, across 192 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 Lena 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ellen and Lena changed places 8 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #208 and #294.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and Lena were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #208 and #294.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Lena in 48.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #15 in 1955, Lena #20 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #208, Lena #294.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #23 in 2002, Lena #71 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #166, Lena #266.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Lena in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Lena #128 in 2013.
The order changed in 2009: Lena moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #210 and #341; by 2009 that had become #271 and #247.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Lena #283.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2001–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Lena in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #25 in 2001, Lena #131 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #150, Lena #288.
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 | Lena |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A short form of names ending in '-lena', such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena — widely used independently. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions |
| Pronunciation | /ˈleː.na/ | |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (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
- Lena has a recorded origin (Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions); Ellen does not have one recorded yet.
- Ellen and Lena both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Lena; 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
Lena
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #346 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: #20 among girls in Norway, in 1969 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls