Emily vs Peta
Emily and Petacompared 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 2017, Emily was ranked #5 and Peta #5765 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1983, Emily was ranked #33 and Peta #97 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Emily and Peta over time
Emily and Peta appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Peta in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Peta 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
England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 1996–2017
Emily held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Peta in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2004, Peta #2416 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Emily #5, Peta #5765.
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 | Peta |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5765 (2017) |
| 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); Peta does not have one recorded yet.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Peta.
- A meaning is recorded for Emily; Peta doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Peta 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
Peta
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #85 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1970–1983
Highest recorded position: #59 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1978 (recorded 1970–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #5765 among girls in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Girls