Ellie vs Emily
Ellie and Emilycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ellie was ranked #18 and Emily #5 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellie was ranked #15 and Emily #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ellie was ranked #35 and Emily #7 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ellie was ranked #40 and Emily #30 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ellie was ranked #32 and Emily #61 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ellie was ranked #33 and Emily #71 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ellie was ranked #119 and Emily #44 among girls in England and Wales.
Ellie and Emily over time
Ellie and Emily appear together in 6 published lists, across 149 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Ellie in 0.
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.
Emily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Ellie 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 2022, Ellie moved ahead of Emily in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #42 and #35 the year before became #26 and #33.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ellie and Emily averaged 30.7 places apart, ending at #119 and #44.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellie and Emily were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #119 and #44.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ellie #2 in 2003, Emily #1 in 2003.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025
Ellie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 34.
Highest recorded here: Ellie #6 in 2023, Emily #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #15, Emily #6.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ellie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 30.
Highest recorded here: Ellie #2 in 2003, Emily #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #119, Emily #44.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ellie held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Emily in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ellie #3 in 2005, Emily #1 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellie #18, Emily #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1992–2025
Ellie held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Emily in 21.
Highest recorded here: Ellie #25 in 2023, Emily #1 in 2002.
The order changed in 2022: Ellie moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #42 and #35; by 2022 that had become #26 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #32, Emily #61.
Norway · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2025
Ellie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Emily in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ellie #30 in 2021, Emily #47 in 2014.
The order changed in 2019: Ellie moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #60 and #56; by 2019 that had become #50 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #33, Emily #71.
New Zealand · Girls13 shared years, 2011–2023
Ellie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emily in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ellie #31 in 2021, Emily #2 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ellie #40, Emily #30.
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 | Ellie | Emily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of several longer names, particularly Eleanor, Ellen and Elizabeth. | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). |
| Origin | Various, diminutive form | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.i/ | /ˈɛməli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia |
| 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 #15 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Ellie is recorded with a Various, diminutive form origin, while Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin.
- Ellie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Emily.
- Ellie's recorded meaning differs from Emily's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Ellie a "medium" Data Confidence level and Emily a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ellie
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Emily
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls