Emily vs Mia
Emily and Miacompared 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 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Mia #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #5 and Mia #20 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Mia #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Mia #26 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Mia #13 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #34 and Mia #14 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Mia #21 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Mia over time
Emily and Mia appear together in 6 published lists, across 194 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mia in 2.
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.
Emily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Mia in 1. 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 2019, Mia moved ahead of Emily in England and Wales · Girls — #5 and #6 the year before became #11 and #5.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Mia averaged 20.8 places apart, ending at #34 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Mia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 49 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #71 and #21.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Emily #1 in 2013, Mia #14 in 2015.
List by list
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1969–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mia in 49.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Mia #8 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Mia #21.
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1971–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Mia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Mia #6 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Mia #11.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mia in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Mia #5 in 2019.
The order changed in 2019: Mia moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #5 and #6; by 2019 that had become #11 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #34, Mia #14.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Mia in 17.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Mia #2 in 2008.
The order changed in 2013: Mia moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #3 and #6; by 2013 that had become #6 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Mia #5.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Mia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Mia #14 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Mia #20.
New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Mia in 5.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Mia #7 in 2017.
The order changed in 2020: Mia moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #13 and #15; by 2020 that had become #15 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Mia #13.
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 | Mia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Directly a diminutive of Maria. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈmiːə/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #5 (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 Mia is recorded with a Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Mia.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Mia'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 Mia 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
Mia
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #357 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls