Namewise

Ellie vs Lucy

Ellie and Lucycompared 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #15 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Ellie was ranked #18 and Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Ellie was ranked #40 and Lucy #21 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Ellie was ranked #35 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #32 and Lucy #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #33 and Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #119 and Lucy #143 among girls in England and Wales.

Ellie and Lucy over time

Ellie and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 149 years of shared records. Lucy held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ellie 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.

Lucy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Ellie 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2020, Ellie moved ahead of Lucy in England and Wales · Girls — #63 and #61 the year before became #67 and #69.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Ellie and Lucy changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #119 and #143.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ellie and Lucy averaged 9.1 places apart, ending at #119 and #143.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Ellie and Lucy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #119 and #143.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ellie #2 in 2003, Lucy #7 in 2003.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Lucy in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #6 in 2023, Lucy #3 in 2016.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #15, Lucy #16.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Lucy in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #2 in 2003, Lucy #7 in 2003.

    The order changed in 2020: Ellie moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #63 and #61; by 2020 that had become #67 and #69.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #119, Lucy #143.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Ellie held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Lucy in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #3 in 2005, Lucy #4 in 2007.

    The order changed in 2023: Ellie moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #24 and #23; by 2023 that had become #16 and #39.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellie #18, Lucy #38.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1992–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Lucy in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #25 in 2023, Lucy #20 in 2012.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #32, Lucy #32.

  • Norway · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lucy in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #30 in 2021, Lucy #212 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #33, Lucy #296.

  • New Zealand · Girls13 shared years, 2011–2023

    Ellie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lucy in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #31 in 2021, Lucy #13 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Ellie #40, Lucy #21.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Ellie

Pairs where Ellie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Lucy

Pairs where Lucy shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Ellie, Lucy
FieldEllieLucy
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA diminutive of several longer names, particularly Eleanor, Ellen and Elizabeth.The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages.
OriginVarious, diminutive formLatin
Pronunciation/ˈɛl.i//ˈluː.si/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #15 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Ellie is recorded with a Various, diminutive form origin, while Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
  • Ellie and Lucy both have 2 syllables.
  • Ellie's recorded meaning differs from Lucy's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Ellie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1987

    First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #119 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Lucy

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #143 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls