Ailish vs Emily
Ailish and Emilycompared 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 2013, Ailish was ranked #370 and Emily #1 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ailish was ranked #483 and Emily #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ailish was ranked #315 and Emily #7 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ailish was ranked #3015 and Emily #34 among girls in England and Wales.
Ailish and Emily over time
Ailish and Emily appear together in 2 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ailish in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ailish reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Emily 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
Ailish and Emily changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #483 and #6.
- Longest-running competitions
Ailish and Emily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 61 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #483 and #6.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Ailish held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Emily in 59.
Highest recorded here: Ailish #138 in 1990, Emily #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ailish #483, Emily #6.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ailish held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ailish #551 in 1997, Emily #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ailish #3015, Emily #34.
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 | Ailish | Emily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɛməli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #483 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Emily has a recorded origin (Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia); Ailish does not have one recorded yet.
- Ailish has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Emily.
- A meaning is recorded for Emily; Ailish doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Ailish a "medium" Data Confidence level and Emily a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ailish
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 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: #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1990 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Emily
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #180 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #61 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls