Emily vs Sadie
Emily and Sadiecompared 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 Sadie #42 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Sadie #5 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Sadie #87 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Sadie #28 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Sadie #134 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Sadie #49 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Emily and Sadie over time
Emily and Sadie appear together in 4 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sadie in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Sadie 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Sadie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #134.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Sadie in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Sadie #5 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Sadie #5.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sadie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Sadie #129 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Sadie #134.
Northern Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sadie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Sadie #22 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Sadie #42.
New Zealand · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sadie in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emily #4 in 2014, Sadie #28 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Sadie #28.
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.
- Emily vs Shannon
In 1996 they stood at #4 and #11 in England and Wales · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #44 and #2138.
Emily · Shannon · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Emily vs Lauren
In 1996 they stood at #4 and #5 in England and Wales · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #44 and #1166.
Emily · Lauren · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Emily vs Megan
In 1996 they stood at #4 and #10 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #44 and #816.
Emily · Megan · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Emily vs Rachael
In 1997 they stood at #32 and #25 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2017 they were #1 and #432.
Emily · Rachael · 19 shared years, 1997–2017 · Started together, ended far apart
Other comparisons involving Sadie
Pairs where Sadie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Isla vs Sadie
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Sadie #22 in 2023.
Isla · Sadie · 19 shared years, 2005–2024 · Peaked in the same years
- Lily vs Sadie
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Lily #1 in 2025, Sadie #5 in 2025.
Lily · Sadie · 29 shared years, 1981–2025 · Peaked in the same years
- Amelia vs Sadie
In 2025, Sadie moved ahead of Amelia in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #8 and #9 the year before became #12 and #5.
Amelia · Sadie · 36 shared years, 1964–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
Side by side
| Field | Emily | Sadie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | A diminutive form of the name Sarah. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Biblical Hebrew, diminutive form |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈseɪ.di/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #5 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Sadie is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, diminutive form origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sadie.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Sadie's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Sadie 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sadie
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #134 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls