Caitlin vs Emma
Caitlin 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2013, Caitlin was ranked #78 and Emma #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Caitlin was ranked #96 and Emma #20 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Caitlin was ranked #247 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #333 and Emma #53 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #610 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #119 and Emma #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Caitlin and Emma over time
Caitlin and Emma appear together in 5 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Caitlin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Caitlin and Emma averaged 27.6 places apart, ending at #78 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Caitlin and Emma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #247 and #28.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Caitlin #2 in 2002, Emma #1 in 2003.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1967–2025
Caitlin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 48.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #31 in 2003, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caitlin #247, Emma #28.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Caitlin held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Emma in 28.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #21 in 2001, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caitlin #610, Emma #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Caitlin held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Emma in 27.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #2 in 2002, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caitlin #119, Emma #84.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1987–2013
Caitlin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 27.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #10 in 1998, Emma #3 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Caitlin #78, Emma #20.
New Zealand · Girls25 shared years, 1989–2014
Caitlin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 25.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #10 in 1998, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Caitlin #96, Emma #20.
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 | Caitlin | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of Caitlín, itself a cognate of Katherine/Catalina traditions across Europe. | 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 | Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪt.lɪn/ | /ˈɛm.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #247 (2025) | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caitlin is recorded with a Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family origin, while Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Caitlin and Emma both have 2 syllables.
- Caitlin's recorded meaning differs from Emma's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Caitlin
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2002 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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