Ellen vs Emma
Ellen 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, Ellen was ranked #208 and Emma #1 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1996, Ellen was ranked #73 and Emma #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1996, Ellen was ranked #73 and Emma #6 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #166 and Emma #28 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #541 and Emma #53 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Emma #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #150 and Emma #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ellen and Emma over time
Ellen and Emma appear together in 5 published lists, across 203 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ellen in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ellen 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1992, Emma moved ahead of Ellen in Norway · Girls — #114 and #131 the year before became #122 and #97.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ellen and Emma averaged 51.7 places apart, ending at #150 and #84.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and Emma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #208 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ellen #63 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Emma in 34.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #15 in 1955, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order changed in 1992: Emma moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #114 and #131; by 1992 that had become #122 and #97.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #208, Emma #1.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Emma in 53.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #23 in 2002, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order changed in 1973: Emma moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #66 and #86; by 1973 that had become #77 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #166, Emma #28.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Emma #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Emma #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #21 in 2000, Emma #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #150, Emma #84.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls9 shared years, 1988–1996
Ellen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emma in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #68 in 1993, Emma #3 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Ellen #73, Emma #4.
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 | Ellen | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (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); Ellen does not have one recorded yet.
- Ellen and Emma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Ellen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ellen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #29 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: #15 among girls in Norway, in 1955 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 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