Allison vs Emma
Allison 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1980, Allison was ranked #85 and Emma #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Allison was ranked #631 and Emma #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Allison was ranked #3318 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Allison and Emma over time
Allison and Emma appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Allison 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.
Allison 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1973, Emma moved ahead of Allison in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #63 and #64 the year before became #71 and #49.
- Mirrored each other
Over 54 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Allison fell — from #372 and #245 in 1964 to #631 and #17 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Allison and Emma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #631 and #17.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Allison #1317 in 1999, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2024
Allison held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Emma in 53.
Highest recorded here: Allison #164 in 1966, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allison #631, Emma #17.
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Allison held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 27.
Highest recorded here: Allison #1317 in 1999, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allison #3318, Emma #69.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls12 shared years, 1969–1980
Allison held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Emma in 9.
Highest recorded here: Allison #63 in 1971, Emma #12 in 1979.
The order changed in 1973: Emma moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #63 and #64; by 1973 that had become #71 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Allison #85, Emma #13.
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 | Allison | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɛm.ə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #631 (2024) | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Allison does not have one recorded yet.
- Allison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Emma.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Allison doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Allison
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 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 recorded1965–1980
Highest recorded position: #63 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1971 (recorded 1965–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
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