Eirin vs Emma
Eirin 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 2025, Eirin was ranked #306 and Emma #1 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Eirin was ranked #834 and Emma #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2010, Eirin was ranked #5707 and Emma #48 among girls in England and Wales.
Eirin and Emma over time
Eirin and Emma appear together in 1 published list, across 74 years of shared records. Eirin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Emma 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.
Eirin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Emma 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 1993, Emma moved ahead of Eirin in Norway · Girls — #94 and #97 the year before became #112 and #89.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eirin and Emma changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2025, ending at #306 and #1.
- Mirrored each other
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Eirin fell — from #138 and #295 in 1946 to #306 and #1 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Eirin and Emma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 74 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #306 and #1.
List by list
Norway · Girls74 shared years, 1946–2025
Eirin held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Emma in 36.
Highest recorded here: Eirin #94 in 1992, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order changed in 1993: Emma moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #94 and #97; by 1993 that had become #112 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eirin #306, Emma #1.
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 | Eirin | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #306 (2025) | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Eirin does not have one recorded yet.
- Eirin and Emma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Eirin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Eirin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #138 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #94 among girls in Norway, in 1992 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #306 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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