Emily vs Sophia
Emily and Sophiacompared 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 Sophia #8 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Sophia #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Sophia #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Sophia #6 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Sophia #13 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Sophia #29 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Sophia #88 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Sophia over time
Emily and Sophia appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Sophia 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, Sophia 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, Sophia moved ahead of Emily in England and Wales · Girls — #5 and #8 the year before became #11 and #7.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Sophia averaged 37.9 places apart, ending at #44 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Sophia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Emily #2 in 2013, Sophia #9 in 2012.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1965–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Sophia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Sophia #13 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Sophia #14.
Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1983–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Sophia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Sophia #59 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Sophia #88.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sophia in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Sophia #7 in 2019.
The order changed in 2019: Sophia moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #5 and #8; by 2019 that had become #11 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Sophia #13.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sophia in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1999, Sophia #6 in 2025.
The order changed in 2019: Sophia moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #10 and #11; by 2019 that had become #23 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Sophia #6.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1995–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sophia in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Sophia #9 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Sophia #29.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Sophia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Sophia #4 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Sophia #8.
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 | Sophia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | Wisdom. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /soʊˈfiə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia | Sophie, Sofia |
| 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 #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Sophia is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sophia.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Sophia's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Sophia
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2011 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls