Elin vs Emma
Elin 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, Elin was ranked #263 and Emma #1 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Elin was ranked #430 and Emma #9 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elin was ranked #885 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elin was ranked #722 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Elin and Emma over time
Elin and Emma appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Elin in 1.
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.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Elin 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 1994, Emma moved ahead of Elin in Norway · Girls — #69 and #89 the year before became #92 and #80.
- Longest-running competitions
Elin and Emma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #263 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Elin #349 in 1999, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025
Elin held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Emma in 32.
Highest recorded here: Elin #4 in 1974, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order changed in 1994: Emma moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #69 and #89; by 1994 that had become #92 and #80.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elin #263, Emma #1.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elin #349 in 1999, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elin #722, Emma #69.
Republic of Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2010–2025
Elin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 8.
Highest recorded here: Elin #524 in 2017, Emma #2 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elin #885, Emma #28.
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 | Elin | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #263 (2025) | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Elin does not have one recorded yet.
- Elin and Emma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Elin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elin
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #41 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #263 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