Alex vs Emma
Alex and Emmacompared 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, Alex was ranked #304 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alex was ranked #2253 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Alex was ranked #391 and Emma #95 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alex and Emma over time
Alex and Emma appear together in 3 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alex in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Emma 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Emma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1990 to 2025, ending at #304 and #28.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alex #161 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1990–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 34.
Highest recorded here: Alex #82 in 2006, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #304, Emma #28.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alex #161 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #2253, Emma #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2023
Alex held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 26.
Highest recorded here: Alex #56 in 2002, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alex #391, Emma #95.
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 | Alex | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Alexander, Alexandra and other names beginning with 'Alex' — from Greek elements meaning 'defender' and 'man/people'. | A shortened form of Germanic names beginning with the element 'irmin' ('whole, great'), from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz. Introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, wife of King Ethelred II and later King Canute; further popularised by Jane Austen's 1816 novel Emma. |
| Origin | Greek, short form | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ɪks/ | /ˈɛm.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex is recorded with a Greek, short form origin, while Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Alex and Emma both have 2 syllables.
- Alex's recorded meaning differs from Emma'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
Alex
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #346 among boys in Norway in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1972–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1972–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #259 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Emma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #342 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1969–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1969–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls