Elsie vs Merethe

Elsie and Merethecompared 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 1971, Elsie was ranked #475 and Merethe #88 among girls in Norway.

Elsie and Merethe over time

Elsie and Merethe appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Merethe held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Elsie 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.

Elsie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Merethe 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.

List by list

Norway · Girls11 shared years, 1949–1971
Elsie held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Merethe in 7.
Highest recorded here: Elsie #259 in 1949, Merethe #88 in 1971.
The order changed in 1955: Merethe moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #263 and #312; by 1955 that had become #422 and #316.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Elsie #475, Merethe #88.

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 Elsie

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

Elsie vs Aria
Elsie and Aria both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Elsie · Aria · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Harper vs Elsie
Harper and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Harper · Elsie · 24 shared years, 2001–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Mila vs Elsie
Mila and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Mila · Elsie · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Sophia vs Elsie
Sophia and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Sophia · Elsie · 31 shared years, 1973–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Elsie, Merethe
Field	Elsie	Merethe
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	female
Meaning	Shares the root meaning of Elizabeth: 'my God is an oath', inherited via the Scots form Elspeth.	Not yet recorded
Origin	Scottish, via Elizabeth	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	/ˈɛlsi/	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	3
Common variants / nicknames	Elspeth	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ	NO
Most recent popularity observation	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #24 (2025)	Norway · Girls #586 (2004)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	82/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	high	medium

What the data shows

Elsie has a recorded origin (Scottish, via Elizabeth); Merethe does not have one recorded yet.
Elsie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Merethe.
A meaning is recorded for Elsie; Merethe doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in NO.
The available evidence gives Elsie a "high" Data Confidence level and Merethe a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Elsie

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #301 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Merethe

Popularity journey

First recorded1949
First recorded at #391 among girls in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1949–2004
Highest recorded position: #69 among girls in Norway, in 1968 (recorded 1949–2004).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2004
Most recently recorded at #586 among girls in Norway, in 2004.
Norway · Girls