Ellen vs May
Ellen and Maycompared 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 May #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #166 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #208 and May #481 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Ellen and May over time
Ellen and May appear together in 4 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, May in 0.
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 May 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 May changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #208 and #481.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and May were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #208 and #481.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Ellen #15 in 1955, May #24 in 1956.
List by list
Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 77 of those years, May in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #15 in 1955, May #24 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #208, May #481.
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1967–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 34 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #23 in 2002, May #262 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #166, May #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 25 of those years, May in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, May #325 in 2007.
The order changed in 2021: May moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #494 and #631; by 2021 that had become #683 and #654.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, May #610.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2009–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 8 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #47 in 2009, May #276 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #150, May #407.
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 | May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (2025) |
| 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 May.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 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: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls