Namewise

Emily vs Megan

Emily and Megancompared 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.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2004, Emily was ranked #1 and Megan #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2022, Emily was ranked #2 and Megan #266 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Megan #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Megan #384 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2005, Emily was ranked #9 and Megan #97 among girls in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Megan #816 among girls in England and Wales.

Emily and Megan over time

Emily and Megan appear together in 5 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Megan in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Megan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1988, Emily moved ahead of Megan in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #25 and #20 the year before became #17 and #26.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emily and Megan averaged 35.5 places apart, ending at #1 and #91.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emily rose about as far as Megan fell — from #81 and #39 in 1977 to #1 and #91 in 2004.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Emily and Megan were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #816.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1996 they stood at #4 and #10 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #44 and #816.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1976–2025

    Emily held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Megan in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Megan #8 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Megan #352.

  • New Zealand · Girls31 shared years, 1975–2005

    Emily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Megan in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #4 in 2003, Megan #19 in 1975.

    The order changed in 1992: Emily moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #28 and #24; by 1992 that had become #12 and #39.

    Most recent shared year, 2005: Emily #9, Megan #97.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Emily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Megan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Megan #3 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Megan #816.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1977–2004

    Emily held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Megan in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Megan #20 in 1987.

    The order changed in 1988: Emily moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #25 and #20; by 1988 that had become #17 and #26.

    Most recent shared year, 2004: Emily #1, Megan #91.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2022

    Emily held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Megan in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Megan #4 in 2000.

    The order changed in 2006: Emily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #20 and #20; by 2006 that had become #17 and #22.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Emily #2, Megan #266.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Emily

Pairs where Emily shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Megan

Pairs where Megan shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — started together, ended far apart.

All started together, ended far apart→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Emily, Megan
FieldEmilyMegan
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningRival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root).A Welsh diminutive of Margaret that became independently used; only regularly used outside Wales since the mid-20th century.
OriginLatin, from the Roman family name AemiliaWelsh, diminutive of Margaret
Pronunciation/ˈɛməli//ˈmɛɡ.an/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesEm, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, AemiliaMeghan, Meagan, Maegan
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Megan is recorded with a Welsh, diminutive of Margaret origin.
  • Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Megan.
  • Emily's recorded meaning differs from Megan's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Emily

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #44 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Megan

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1958

    First recorded at #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #816 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls