Amanda vs Emma
Amanda 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #52 and Emma #1 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1997, Amanda was ranked #72 and Emma #5 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1999, Amanda was ranked #84 and Emma #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #608 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Amanda was ranked #354 and Emma #46 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Amanda was ranked #1036 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Amanda and Emma over time
Amanda and Emma appear together in 6 published lists, across 216 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Amanda in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Amanda reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 1988, Emma moved ahead of Amanda in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #5 and #8 the year before became #9 and #3.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Amanda and Emma changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1973 and 2025, ending at #52 and #1.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Amanda and Emma averaged 26.6 places apart, ending at #84 and #7.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Amanda fell — from #28 and #99 in 1969 to #72 and #5 in 1997.
- Longest-running competitions
Amanda and Emma were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 31 years, from 1969 to 1999, ending at #84 and #7.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Amanda #170 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Emma in 51.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #15 in 1986, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order changed in 1975: Emma moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #31 and #41; by 1975 that had become #39 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #608, Emma #28.
Norway · Girls50 shared years, 1973–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Emma in 45.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #26 in 2016, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #52, Emma #1.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls31 shared years, 1969–1999
Amanda held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Emma in 12.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #2 in 1980, Emma #3 in 1988.
The order changed in 1988: Emma moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #5 and #8; by 1988 that had become #9 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Amanda #84, Emma #7.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #170 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amanda #1036, Emma #69.
New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1969–1997
Amanda held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Emma in 18.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #4 in 1985, Emma #2 in 1988.
The order changed in 1986: Emma moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #4 and #5; by 1986 that had become #5 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Amanda #72, Emma #5.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2022
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 15.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #164 in 1998, Emma #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Amanda #354, Emma #46.
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 | Amanda | 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, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #52 (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); Amanda does not have one recorded yet.
- Amanda has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Emma.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Amanda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Amanda
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1980 (recorded 1954–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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