Namewise

Elise vs Emma

Elise 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, Elise was ranked #63 and Emma #1 among girls in Norway.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2011, Elise was ranked #87 and Emma #14 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2014, Elise was ranked #82 and Emma #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Elise was ranked #381 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Elise was ranked #188 and Emma #53 among girls in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Elise was ranked #320 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Elise was ranked #337 and Emma #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Elise and Emma over time

Elise and Emma appear together in 5 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Elise 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.

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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1997, Emma moved ahead of Elise in Norway · Girls — #26 and #43 the year before became #33 and #27.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Elise and Emma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #63 and #1.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Elise #49 in 1987, Emma #3 in 1988.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025

    Elise held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Emma in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Elise #23 in 2001, Emma #1 in 2003.

    The order changed in 1997: Emma moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #26 and #43; by 1997 that had become #33 and #27.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #63, Emma #1.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1983–2025

    Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 35.

    Highest recorded here: Elise #132 in 2014, Emma #1 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #381, Emma #28.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Elise #96 in 2002, Emma #13 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Elise #320, Emma #69.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2024

    Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Elise #147 in 2003, Emma #1 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Elise #337, Emma #84.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls11 shared years, 1985–2014

    Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Elise #49 in 1987, Emma #3 in 1988.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2014: Elise #82, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Elise

Pairs where Elise shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Emma

Pairs where Emma shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Elise, Emma
FieldEliseEmma
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA short form of Elizabeth, used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages.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.
OriginHebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmissionGermanic
Pronunciation/eˈliː.seh//ˈɛm.ə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #63 (2025)Norway · Girls #1 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Elise is recorded with a Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission origin, while Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin.
  • Elise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Emma.
  • Elise'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, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Elise

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #223 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #23 among girls in Norway, in 2001 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #63 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Emma

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1969–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1969–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls