Emily vs Grace
Emily and Gracecompared 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, Emily was ranked #5 and Grace #1 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Grace #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Grace #13 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Grace #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Grace #18 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #34 and Grace #25 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Grace #503 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Grace over time
Emily and Grace appear together in 6 published lists, across 227 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Grace in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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, Grace 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 2019, Grace moved ahead of Emily in England and Wales · Girls — #5 and #10 the year before became #11 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Grace changed places 9 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1987 and 2023, ending at #30 and #18.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Grace averaged 11.6 places apart, ending at #34 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Grace were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 38 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #61 and #11.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Emily #1 in 2013, Grace #1 in 2013.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Grace in 33.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Grace #1 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Grace #4.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls38 shared years, 1988–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Grace in 9.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Grace #7 in 2018.
The order changed in 2017: Grace moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #7 and #8; by 2017 that had become #14 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Grace #11.
New Zealand · Girls37 shared years, 1987–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Grace in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Grace #5 in 2000.
The order changed in 2022: Grace moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #15 and #18; by 2022 that had become #22 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Grace #18.
Norway · Girls33 shared years, 1969–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Grace in 5.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Grace #354 in 2017.
The order changed in 1984: Emily moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #525 and #385; by 1984 that had become #342 and #600.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Grace #503.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Grace in 8.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Grace #1 in 2006.
The order changed in 2019: Grace moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #5 and #10; by 2019 that had become #11 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #34, Grace #25.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Grace in 13.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Grace #1 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Grace #1.
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 | Emily | Grace |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia | Gracie |
| 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 #6 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (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 | high | high |
What the data shows
- Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Grace.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Grace'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
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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #61 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls