Evan vs Nell
Evan and Nellcompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Evan was ranked #5891 and Nell #400 among girls in England and Wales.
Evan and Nell over time
Evan and Nell appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Nell held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Evan 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.
Evan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nell 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
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Nell in 19.
Highest recorded here: Evan #2096 in 1996, Nell #294 in 2023.
The order changed in 1997: Nell moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #2096 and #3126; by 1997 that had become #3174 and #1176.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #5891, Nell #400.
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 | Evan | Nell |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #80 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #115 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Evan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nell.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Evan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1969–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #350 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Nell
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #257 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #114 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #115 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls