Angela vs Emma
Angela 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 2022, Angela was ranked #437 and Emma #2 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1998, Angela was ranked #88 and Emma #5 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2003, Angela was ranked #79 and Emma #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Angela was ranked #608 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Angela was ranked #1229 and Emma #85 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Angela was ranked #391 and Emma #95 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Angela and Emma over time
Angela and Emma appear together in 6 published lists, across 222 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Angela in 0.
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.
Angela reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 1978, Emma moved ahead of Angela in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #17 and #18 the year before became #17 and #14.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Angela and Emma changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1947 and 2022, ending at #437 and #2.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Angela and Emma averaged 39.0 places apart, ending at #79 and #7.
- Longest-running competitions
Angela and Emma were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1229 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Angela #382 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Angela held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Emma in 53.
Highest recorded here: Angela #21 in 1965, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order changed in 1973: Emma moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #51 and #86; by 1973 that had become #53 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #608, Emma #28.
Norway · Girls56 shared years, 1947–2022
Angela held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Emma in 46.
Highest recorded here: Angela #229 in 1959, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Angela #437, Emma #2.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls35 shared years, 1969–2003
Angela held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Emma in 26.
Highest recorded here: Angela #13 in 1974, Emma #3 in 1988.
The order changed in 1978: Emma moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #17 and #18; by 1978 that had become #17 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2003: Angela #79, Emma #7.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Angela held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 30.
Highest recorded here: Angela #382 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #1229, Emma #85.
New Zealand · Girls25 shared years, 1969–1998
Angela held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Emma in 14.
Highest recorded here: Angela #3 in 1975, Emma #2 in 1988.
The order changed in 1980: Emma moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #5 and #11; by 1980 that had become #11 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Angela #88, Emma #5.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1997–2023
Angela held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 14.
Highest recorded here: Angela #248 in 2000, Emma #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Angela #391, Emma #95.
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 | Angela | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (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); Angela does not have one recorded yet.
- Angela has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Emma.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Angela 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
Angela
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #362 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #85 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls