Emily vs Lisa
Emily and Lisacompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1997, Emily was ranked #2 and Lisa #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Emily was ranked #2 and Lisa #336 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Lisa #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Lisa #790 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1997, Emily was ranked #9 and Lisa #85 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Lisa #661 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Lisa #174 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Lisa over time
Emily and Lisa appear together in 6 published lists, across 202 years of shared records. Lisa held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Emily in 2.
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.
Lisa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1988, Emily moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #25 and #19 the year before became #17 and #21.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emily and Lisa averaged 41.7 places apart, ending at #2 and #100.
- Mirrored each other
Over 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emily rose about as far as Lisa fell — from #180 and #222 in 1964 to #6 and #443 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Lisa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #661.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Lisa in 31.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Lisa #3 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Lisa #443.
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1969–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lisa in 34.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Lisa #37 in 1994.
The order changed in 2012: Emily moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #72 and #71; by 2012 that had become #59 and #90.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Lisa #174.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lisa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Lisa #105 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Lisa #661.
New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 1975–1997
Emily held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Lisa in 15.
Highest recorded here: Emily #9 in 1995, Lisa #4 in 1975.
The order changed in 1990: Emily moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #36 and #19; by 1990 that had become #24 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Emily #9, Lisa #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1977–1997
Emily held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lisa in 11.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 1995, Lisa #5 in 1978.
The order changed in 1988: Emily moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #25 and #19; by 1988 that had become #17 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Emily #2, Lisa #100.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2019
Emily held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lisa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Lisa #63 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Emily #2, Lisa #336.
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 | Lisa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | A short form of Elizabeth, often used independently — notably the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈliː.sə/ |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #174 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Lisa is recorded with a Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lisa.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Lisa'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 Lisa 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
Lisa
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–1997
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1962–1997).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #661 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls