Chelsea vs Emma
Chelsea 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 Zealand · Girls
In 2008, Chelsea was ranked #98 and Emma #7 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Chelsea was ranked #608 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2020, Chelsea was ranked #97 and Emma #36 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Chelsea was ranked #407 and Emma #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Chelsea was ranked #983 and Emma #85 among girls in England and Wales.
Chelsea and Emma over time
Chelsea and Emma appear together in 5 published lists, across 131 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Chelsea in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Chelsea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Chelsea and Emma averaged 29.9 places apart, ending at #97 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Chelsea and Emma were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #983 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Chelsea #34 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1989–2025
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 35.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #54 in 1999, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Chelsea #608, Emma #28.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 30.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #34 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Chelsea #983, Emma #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1993–2020
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 28.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #23 in 1999, Emma #4 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Chelsea #97, Emma #36.
New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 1987–2008
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 20.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #19 in 1994, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Chelsea #98, Emma #7.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1997–2024
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 18.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #35 in 1998, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chelsea #407, Emma #84.
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 | Chelsea | 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 | /ˈɛm.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Chelsea does not have one recorded yet.
- Chelsea and Emma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Chelsea doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Chelsea
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #65 among girls in New Zealand in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1987–2008
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1994 (recorded 1987–2008).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #983 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