Emily vs Hannah
Emily and Hannahcompared 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 Hannah #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Hannah #21 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Hannah #66 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Hannah #77 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #34 and Hannah #107 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Hannah #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Hannah #116 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Hannah over time
Emily and Hannah appear together in 6 published lists, across 255 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hannah in 2.
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.
Hannah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Emily 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 2008, Emily moved ahead of Hannah in Northern Ireland · Girls — #11 and #8 the year before became #7 and #10.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Hannah changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1978 and 2023, ending at #30 and #77.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Hannah averaged 32.8 places apart, ending at #34 and #107.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Hannah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 43 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #61 and #73.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Emily #1 in 1998, Hannah #8 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Hannah in 22.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Hannah #5 in 2019.
The order changed in 2004: Emily moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #20 and #13; by 2004 that had become #13 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Hannah #21.
Norway · Girls47 shared years, 1978–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Hannah in 31.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Hannah #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Hannah #116.
New Zealand · Girls46 shared years, 1978–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Hannah in 26.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Hannah #2 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Hannah #77.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls43 shared years, 1983–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Hannah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Hannah #8 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Hannah #73.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hannah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Hannah #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #34, Hannah #107.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Hannah in 11.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Hannah #6 in 1998.
The order changed in 2008: Emily moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #11 and #8; by 2008 that had become #7 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Hannah #57.
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 | Hannah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Commonly interpreted as 'favour' or 'grace', referring to graciousness. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈhænə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia | 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 #6 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Hannah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Hannah.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Hannah'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 Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Hannah a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Hannah
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #91 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 recorded1978–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 1996 (recorded 1978–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls