Emily vs Kylie
Emily and Kyliecompared 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 2019, Emily was ranked #2 and Kylie #336 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Kylie #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Kylie #790 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1989, Emily was ranked #11 and Kylie #82 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1990, Emily was ranked #24 and Kylie #94 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Kylie #1110 among girls in England and Wales.
Emily and Kylie over time
Emily and Kylie appear together in 4 published lists, across 85 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.
Kylie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Emily in none. 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Emily moved into the top 50 at #24 in 1990 as Kylie fell out of it to #94, having been #15 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1988, Emily moved ahead of Kylie in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #25 and #13 the year before became #17 and #23.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Kylie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #1110.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Kylie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Kylie #349 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Kylie #1110.
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1987–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Kylie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Kylie #250 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Kylie #413.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 1975–1990
Emily held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kylie in 15.
Highest recorded here: Emily #24 in 1990, Kylie #12 in 1975.
The order changed in 1990: Emily moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #36 and #15; by 1990 that had become #24 and #94.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Emily #24, Kylie #94.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 1977–1989
Emily held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Kylie in 11.
Highest recorded here: Emily #11 in 1989, Kylie #6 in 1977.
The order changed in 1988: Emily moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #25 and #13; by 1988 that had become #17 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Emily #11, Kylie #82.
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 | Kylie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Emerged in Australia, reportedly meaning 'boomerang' in the Nyungar Aboriginal language; alternatively read as a feminine form of Kyle or a blend of the phonetic elements 'ky' and 'lee'. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Nyungar (Australian Aboriginal), disputed alternative readings |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈkaɪ.li/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Kylie is recorded with a Nyungar (Australian Aboriginal), disputed alternative readings origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Kylie.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Kylie's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Kylie 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 recorded1996–2025
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
Kylie
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1965–1989
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1971 (recorded 1965–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1110 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls