Emily vs Madison
Emily and Madisoncompared 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 Madison #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Madison #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Madison #135 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2018, Emily was ranked #10 and Madison #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Madison #44 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #34 and Madison #166 among girls in England and Wales.
Emily and Madison over time
Emily and Madison appear together in 5 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Madison in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Madison 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emily and Madison averaged 36.9 places apart, ending at #10 and #89.
- Mirrored each other
Over 30 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Madison rose about as far as Emily fell — from #17 and #90 in 1994 to #30 and #44 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Madison were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 30 years, from 1994 to 2023, ending at #30 and #44.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Emily #1 in 1998, Madison #18 in 2000.
List by list
New Zealand · Girls30 shared years, 1994–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Madison in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Madison #14 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Madison #44.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Madison in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Madison #35 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #34, Madison #166.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Madison in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Madison #37 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Madison #134.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1995–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Madison in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Madison #86 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Madison #148.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls26 shared years, 1993–2018
Emily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Madison in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Madison #18 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Emily #10, Madison #89.
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 | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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 #148 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily has a recorded origin (Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia); Madison does not have one recorded yet.
- Emily and Madison both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emily; Madison doesn't have one written yet.
- 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 Madison 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
Madison
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #75 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1994–2023
Highest recorded position: #14 among girls in New Zealand, in 2001 (recorded 1994–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls