Namewise

Amelia vs Emily

Amelia 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.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #2 and Emily #61 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Amelia was ranked #2 and Emily #30 among girls in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #3 and Emily #44 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Emily #5 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Emily #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Emily #7 among girls in Scotland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #39 and Emily #71 among girls in Norway.

Amelia and Emily over time

Amelia and Emily appear together in 7 published lists, across 269 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Amelia in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Emily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Amelia 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 2011, Amelia moved ahead of Emily in England and Wales · Girls — #5 and #3 the year before became #1 and #5.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 50 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Amelia and Emily averaged 21.0 places apart, ending at #3 and #44.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 39 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Amelia rose about as far as Emily fell — from #92 and #32 in 1985 to #2 and #61 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Amelia and Emily were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 50 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3 and #44.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #4 in 2012, Emily #1 in 2013.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 56.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Emily #1 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Emily #6.

  • England and Wales · Girls50 shared years, 1996–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Emily in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Emily #1 in 2003.

    The order changed in 2011: Amelia moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #5 and #3; by 2011 that had become #1 and #5.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #3, Emily #44.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls39 shared years, 1985–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Emily in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2020, Emily #1 in 1998.

    The order changed in 2013: Amelia moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #7 and #3; by 2013 that had become #3 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #2, Emily #61.

  • New Zealand · Girls38 shared years, 1986–2023

    Amelia held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Emily in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2019, Emily #2 in 2013.

    The order changed in 2016: Amelia moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #9 and #5; by 2016 that had become #6 and #7.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Amelia #2, Emily #30.

  • Norway · Girls33 shared years, 1989–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Emily in 22.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #32 in 2019, Emily #47 in 2014.

    The order changed in 2015: Amelia moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #64 and #47; by 2015 that had become #54 and #59.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #39, Emily #71.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 27.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Emily #1 in 2013.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Emily #5.

  • Scotland · Girls26 shared years, 2024–2024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Emily #7 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Emily #7.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Amelia

Pairs where Amelia shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Emily

Pairs where Emily shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Amelia, Emily
FieldAmeliaEmily
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia.Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root).
OriginLatin (influence)Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia
Pronunciation/əˈmiːliə//ˈɛməli/
Syllables33
Common variants / nicknamesAmelie, Amalia, Amy, MiaEm, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationUnited Kingdom #1 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin.
  • Amelia and Emily both have 3 syllables.
  • Amelia's recorded meaning differs from Emily'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

Amelia

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #300 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Emily

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #44 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls