Namewise

Amelia vs Willow

Amelia and Willowcompared 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.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #2 and Willow #21 among girls in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #2 and Willow #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Amelia was ranked #2 and Willow #6 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Willow #29 among girls in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Willow #58 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Willow #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Amelia and Willow over time

Amelia and Willow appear together in 6 published lists, across 129 years of shared records. Amelia held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Willow in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Amelia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Willow 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.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Amelia and Willow were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 40 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #2 and #21.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #1 in 2020, Willow #10 in 2022.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls40 shared years, 19962024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Willow in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Willow #9 in 2023.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #2, Willow #21.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 20032025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Willow in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Willow #29 in 2021.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Willow #58.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 20072024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Willow in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Willow #24 in 2021.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Willow #44.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 20092025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Willow in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2020, Willow #10 in 2022.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #2, Willow #23.

  • Scotland · Girls17 shared years, 20242024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Willow in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Willow #29 in 2024.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Willow #29.

  • New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 20102023

    Amelia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Willow in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2019, Willow #5 in 2020.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Amelia #2, Willow #6.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Amelia, Willow
FieldAmeliaWillow
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia.From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name.
OriginLatin (influence)English, a modern nature name from the willow tree
Pronunciation/əˈmiːliə//ˈwɪl.oʊ/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesAmelie, Amalia, Amy, MiaNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationUnited Kingdom #1 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Willow is recorded with a English, a modern nature name from the willow tree origin.
  • Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Willow.
  • Amelia's recorded meaning differs from Willow's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives Amelia a "high" Data Confidence level and Willow a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

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 recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Willow

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1996

    First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Girls

  2. Highest recorded2010–2023

    Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls