Emily vs Maj
Emily and Majcompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 1990, Emily was ranked #225 and Maj #416 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Maj over time
Emily and Maj appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Maj 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.
Maj 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls11 shared years, 1969–1990
Emily held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Maj in 3.
Highest recorded here: Emily #225 in 1990, Maj #388 in 1969.
The order changed in 1985: Emily moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #525 and #488; by 1985 that had become #324 and #670.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Emily #225, Maj #416.
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 | Maj |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | Norway · Girls #416 (1990) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily has a recorded origin (Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia); Maj does not have one recorded yet.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Maj.
- A meaning is recorded for Emily; Maj doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Maj 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
Maj
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #299 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–1990
Highest recorded position: #150 among girls in Norway, in 1959 (recorded 1946–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent1990
Most recently recorded at #416 among girls in Norway, in 1990.
Norway · Girls