Girl's name
Eilidh
Say it AY-lee
Greek origin 2 syllables
Where Eilidh is loved, common and rare
Common in Scotland. Rare in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England and Wales.
1 in 150 girls born in Scotland in 2025
Scotland 28thNorthern Ireland 334thIreland 608th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 4 of the 40 official lists, among them Scotland (28th), Northern Ireland (334th) and Ireland (608th).
Show all 4 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 28th 2025 | 119 | 1 in 150 |
| Northern Ireland | 334th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 1,822 |
| Ireland | 608th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 4,225 |
| England and Wales | 1454th 2025 | 21 | 1 in 12,061 |
Rare, below the listed names: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Sources: National Records of Scotland (Scotland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales). How we count, and every source
About the name
In Scottish Gaelic, Eilidh began as a diminutive of Eileanor. It is also connected to Helen, which traces its roots back to Greek. No meaning is given for Eilidh itself.
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Two syllables, said AY-lee. The spelling follows Gaelic rules, in which the final dh is silent, so the written form is longer than the sound. Helen is listed as the related name.
Scotland is its home, where it is a top-30 name for girls. It is also used, in much smaller numbers, in Northern Ireland and Ireland. The data do not include long-term historical records for it, and it is steady to slightly declining in the regions where it is recorded, but it remains a well-established Scottish favourite.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- AY-lee, 2 syllables
- Origin
- Greek
- Other spellings
- Helen
Over time
Over five years: rising in 1 of 4 regions, falling in 2.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 994 | 899 | 826 | 881 | 992 | 1195 | 1180 | 1008 | 1262 | 1454 |
| Scotland | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 38 | 28 |
| Northern Ireland | 276 | 238 | 228 | 266 | 305 | 302 | 334 | |||
| Ireland | 868 | 873 | 734 | 700 | 661 | 905 | 856 | 631 | 608 | |
| Ontario | 1354 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1454 | 21 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 1262 | 26 | 10.1 |
| 2023 | 1008 | 34 | 13.3 |
| 2022 | 1180 | 28 | 10.6 |
| 2021 | 1195 | 28 | 10.2 |
| 2020 | 992 | 34 | 12.7 |
| 2019 | 881 | 41 | 14.6 |
| 2018 | 826 | 45 | 15.6 |
| 2017 | 899 | 42 | 14.0 |
| 2016 | 994 | 36 | 11.7 |
| 2015 | 1007 | 35 | 11.4 |
| 2014 | 920 | 40 | 13.0 |
| 2013 | 1075 | 33 | 10.7 |
| 2012 | 1184 | 28 | 8.7 |
| 2011 | 1225 | 26 | 8.1 |
| 2010 | 1332 | 23 | 7.2 |
| 2009 | 1411 | 20 | 6.4 |
| 2008 | 995 | 31 | 9.8 |
| 2007 | 1384 | 19 | 6.2 |
| 2006 | 1325 | 19 | 6.3 |
| 2005 | 1343 | 17 | 5.9 |
| 2004 | 1312 | 17 | 5.9 |
| 2003 | 1224 | 18 | 6.5 |
| 2002 | 1104 | 19 | 7.1 |
| 2001 | 1107 | 18 | 6.7 |
| 2000 | 804 | 28 | 10.2 |
| 1999 | 928 | 23 | 8.2 |
| 1998 | 801 | 28 | 9.7 |
| 1997 | 820 | 27 | 9.2 |
| 1996 | 783 | 29 | 9.8 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Sister names for Eilidh
1 in 1,118 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 577 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 106 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 455 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 364 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Darcie and Darcey.
1 in 145 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 716 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 704 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
1 in 639 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Eilidh.
Middle names for Eilidh
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Eilidh Grace
2-1 beats · initials EG
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Eilidh Olivia
2-4 beats · initials EO · Eilidh slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Eilidh slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Eilidh Sophia
2-3 beats · initials ES
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Eilidh Maria
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Eilidh Rose
2-1 beats · initials ER
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Eilidh Julia
2-3 beats · initials EJ
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Eilidh Miriam
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Eilidh Emily
2-3 beats · initials EE · Eilidh slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Eilidh: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Eilidh slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Same style as Eilidh
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 1,457 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 134 in Scotland
92% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 486 in Northern Ireland
92% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 577 in Scotland
91% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 577 in Scotland
90% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 270 in Northern Ireland
89% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 1,933 in England and Wales
89% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
1 in 398 in Scotland
87% alike: moves with Eilidh across countries and decades.
Questions about Eilidh
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Eilidh?
Her best rank is No. 28 in Scotland in 2025, about 1 in 150 girls. She is in the published lists of 4 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Eilidh?
AY-lee, with 2 syllables.
Is Eilidh getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 1 of 4 regions, falling in 2.
Which sister names go with Eilidh?
The deck's top five sisters for Eilidh: Lexi, Georgie, Maisie, Ayda and Darcy. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.