Emily vs Isabella
Emily and Isabellacompared 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 Isabella #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Isabella #48 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Isabella #50 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Isabella #10 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Isabella #15 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Isabella #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Isabella #122 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Isabella over time
Emily and Isabella appear together in 6 published lists, across 211 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Isabella in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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, Isabella in 2. 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, Isabella moved ahead of Emily in England and Wales · Girls — #5 and #7 the year before became #11 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Isabella changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1993 and 2025, ending at #61 and #17.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Isabella averaged 26.7 places apart, ending at #44 and #10.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Isabella were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #10.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Isabella in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Isabella #41 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Isabella #48.
Norway · Girls46 shared years, 1978–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Isabella in 12.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Isabella #42 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Isabella #122.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls33 shared years, 1993–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Isabella in 13.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Isabella #1 in 2007.
The order changed in 2019: Isabella moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #10 and #12; by 2019 that had become #23 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Isabella #17.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Isabella in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Isabella #6 in 2016.
The order changed in 2019: Isabella moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #5 and #7; by 2019 that had become #11 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Isabella #10.
New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1995–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Isabella in 9.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Isabella #4 in 2008.
The order changed in 2020: Isabella moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #13 and #14; by 2020 that had become #15 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Isabella #15.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Isabella in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Isabella #27 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Isabella #44.
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 | Isabella |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | My God is an oath (via Elizabeth). |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Spanish/Italian, via Elizabeth |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˌɪzəˈbɛlə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia | Bella, Izzy, Isabel, Isobel |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #10 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| 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 Isabella is recorded with a Spanish/Italian, via Elizabeth origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Isabella.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Isabella'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 recorded1996–2025
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
Isabella
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #472 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls