Emily vs Lucy
Emily and Lucycompared 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 Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Lucy #21 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Lucy #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #34 and Lucy #123 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Lucy over time
Emily and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 233 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Lucy in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 3 of those lists, Lucy 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 2023, Lucy moved ahead of Emily in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #33 and #43 the year before became #49 and #43.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Lucy changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #5 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Lucy averaged 28.0 places apart, ending at #34 and #123.
- Mirrored each other
Over 41 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lucy rose about as far as Emily fell — from #32 and #89 in 1985 to #61 and #32 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Lucy were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 41 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #61 and #32.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emily #1 in 2003, Lucy #7 in 2003.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Lucy in 9.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Lucy #3 in 2016.
The order changed in 1974: Emily moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #184 and #176; by 1974 that had become #156 and #198.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Lucy #16.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1979–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Lucy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Lucy #12 in 2006.
The order changed in 2022: Lucy moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #15 and #16; by 2022 that had become #22 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Lucy #21.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls41 shared years, 1985–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Lucy in 4.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Lucy #20 in 2012.
The order changed in 2023: Lucy moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #33 and #43; by 2023 that had become #49 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Lucy #32.
Norway · Girls30 shared years, 1973–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lucy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Lucy #212 in 2018.
The order changed in 1984: Emily moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #529 and #494; by 1984 that had become #342 and #659.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Lucy #296.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lucy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Lucy #7 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #34, Lucy #123.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lucy in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Lucy #4 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Lucy #38.
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 | Lucy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈluː.si/ |
| 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 #16 (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 Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lucy.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Lucy'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 Lucy 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
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls