Bernadette vs Emily
Bernadette 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Bernadette was ranked #407 and Emily #5 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Bernadette was ranked #718 and Emily #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bernadette was ranked #1603 and Emily #34 among girls in England and Wales.
Bernadette and Emily over time
Bernadette and Emily appear together in 2 published lists, across 84 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Bernadette in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Bernadette reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Emily 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1988, Emily moved ahead of Bernadette in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #97 and #109 the year before became #110 and #91.
- Longest-running competitions
Bernadette and Emily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #718 and #6.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2025
Bernadette held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Emily in 31.
Highest recorded here: Bernadette #12 in 1969, Emily #1 in 2012.
The order changed in 1988: Emily moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #97 and #109; by 1988 that had become #110 and #91.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bernadette #718, Emily #6.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bernadette held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 29.
Highest recorded here: Bernadette #620 in 1996, Emily #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernadette #1603, Emily #34.
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 | Bernadette | Emily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 64/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Emily has a recorded origin (Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia); Bernadette does not have one recorded yet.
- Bernadette has 4 syllables, compared with 3 for Emily.
- A meaning is recorded for Emily; Bernadette doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Bernadette a "medium" Data Confidence level and Emily a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Bernadette
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Emily
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #61 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls