Emily vs Liv
Emily and Livcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Liv #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Liv #790 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Liv #2278 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Liv #73 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Liv over time
Emily and Liv appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Liv in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Liv 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Liv changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1969 and 2025, ending at #71 and #73.
- Mirrored each other
Over 49 shared years in Norway · Girls, Emily rose about as far as Liv fell — from #547 and #30 in 1969 to #71 and #73 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Liv were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 49 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #71 and #73.
List by list
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1969–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Liv in 27.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Liv #30 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Liv #73.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Liv in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Liv #1088 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Liv #2278.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2005–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Liv in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2015, Liv #544 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Liv #608.
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 | Liv |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Traditionally traced to an Old Norse name (Hlif) commonly interpreted as 'protection'. In modern Scandinavian usage the name is also strongly associated with the everyday word for 'life', though that is a separate word, not the historical root. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Old Norse, used in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /liːv/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | Norway · Girls #73 (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 Liv is recorded with a Old Norse, used in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish tradition origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Liv.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Liv's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Liv 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
Liv
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #3 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2278 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls