Emer vs Imelda
Emer and Imeldacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Emer was ranked #63 and Imelda #498 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Emer was ranked #5669 and Imelda #3533 among girls in England and Wales.
Emer and Imelda over time
Emer and Imelda appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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 1967, Emer moved ahead of Imelda in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #113 and #93 the year before became #93 and #103.
- Longest-running competitions
Emer and Imelda were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1964 to 1998, ending at #63 and #498.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1964–1998
Emer held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Imelda in 3.
Highest recorded here: Emer #43 in 1983, Imelda #80 in 1965.
The order changed in 1967: Emer moved ahead. In 1966 they stood at #113 and #93; by 1967 that had become #93 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Emer #63, Imelda #498.
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 1997–2022
Emer held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Imelda in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emer #952 in 1999, Imelda #1962 in 2021.
The order changed in 2011: Imelda moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #1245 and #4137; by 2011 that had become #4049 and #2150.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Emer #5669, Imelda #3533.
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 | Emer | Imelda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emer has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Imelda.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Emer
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #108 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #43 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1983 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Imelda
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #87 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 recorded1964–1998
Highest recorded position: #80 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1998).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls