Emily vs Ma
Emily and Macompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2009, Emily was ranked #4 and Ma #5556 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2005, Emily was ranked #105 and Ma #609 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Ma over time
Emily and Ma appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ma in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Ma changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1969 and 2005, ending at #105 and #609.
List by list
Norway · Girls21 shared years, 1969–2005
Emily held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Ma in 9.
Highest recorded here: Emily #105 in 2005, Ma #252 in 1985.
The order changed in 1988: Emily moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #326 and #286; by 1988 that had become #335 and #400.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Emily #105, Ma #609.
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 | Ma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5556 (2009) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily has a recorded origin (Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia); Ma does not have one recorded yet.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Ma.
- A meaning is recorded for Emily; Ma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Ma 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
Ma
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #462 among girls in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–2005
Highest recorded position: #252 among girls in Norway, in 1985 (recorded 1962–2005).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2005
Most recently recorded at #609 among girls in Norway, in 2005.
Norway · Girls