Alyssa vs Emma
Alyssa 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 Zealand · Girls
In 2013, Alyssa was ranked #76 and Emma #15 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alyssa was ranked #325 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2019, Alyssa was ranked #75 and Emma #40 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alyssa was ranked #171 and Emma #53 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alyssa was ranked #285 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alyssa was ranked #337 and Emma #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alyssa and Emma over time
Alyssa and Emma appear together in 5 published lists, across 120 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Alyssa in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Alyssa 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Alyssa and Emma averaged 39.9 places apart, ending at #75 and #40.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Alyssa #37 in 2003, Emma #1 in 2003.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alyssa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #144 in 2004, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alyssa #285, Emma #69.
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1991–2025
Alyssa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #172 in 2015, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alyssa #325, Emma #28.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2024
Alyssa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 24.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #137 in 2016, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alyssa #337, Emma #84.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 1990–2019
Alyssa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 23.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #25 in 2004, Emma #3 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Alyssa #75, Emma #40.
New Zealand · Girls15 shared years, 1999–2013
Alyssa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 15.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #37 in 2003, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Alyssa #76, Emma #15.
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 | Alyssa | 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Alyssa does not have one recorded yet.
- Alyssa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Emma.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Alyssa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Alyssa
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #90 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2019
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2004 (recorded 1990–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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