Emily vs Ruby
Emily and Rubycompared 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 Ruby #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Ruby #36 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Ruby #34 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Ruby #17 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Ruby #28 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #34 and Ruby #41 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Ruby #450 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Ruby over time
Emily and Ruby appear together in 5 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ruby in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, Ruby 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Ruby moved ahead of Emily in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #10 and #16 the year before became #23 and #18.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Ruby changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1992 and 2023, ending at #30 and #17.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Ruby averaged 30.7 places apart, ending at #34 and #41.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Ruby were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 32 years, from 1992 to 2023, ending at #30 and #17.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Emily #2 in 2013, Ruby #1 in 2011.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1991–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ruby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Ruby #16 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Ruby #36.
New Zealand · Girls32 shared years, 1992–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ruby in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Ruby #1 in 2011.
The order changed in 2022: Ruby moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #15 and #19; by 2022 that had become #22 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Ruby #17.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Ruby in 4.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Ruby #1 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #34, Ruby #41.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Ruby in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Ruby #2 in 2011.
The order changed in 2019: Ruby moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #10 and #16; by 2019 that had become #23 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Ruby #28.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1998–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Ruby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Ruby #18 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Ruby #38.
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 | Ruby |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Taken from the gemstone name; the ruby is the traditional July birthstone. As a given name it came into use in the 16th century. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | English, ultimately from Latin rubeus ('red') |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈruːbi/ |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #28 (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 Ruby is recorded with a English, ultimately from Latin rubeus ('red') origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ruby.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Ruby'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 Ruby 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
Ruby
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #515 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — 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 2007 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #28 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls