Emily vs Sophie
Emily and Sophiecompared 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 Sophie #14 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Sophie #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Sophie #17 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emily was ranked #30 and Sophie #14 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #61 and Sophie #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Sophie #63 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Sophie #178 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Sophie over time
Emily and Sophie appear together in 6 published lists, across 242 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sophie 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.
Sophie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Emily 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 2011, Emily moved ahead of Sophie in England and Wales · Girls — #3 and #2 the year before became #5 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emily and Sophie changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1985 and 2025, ending at #61 and #22.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Sophie averaged 7.0 places apart, ending at #44 and #63.
- Mirrored each other
Over 41 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Sophie rose about as far as Emily fell — from #32 and #62 in 1985 to #61 and #22 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Sophie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #63.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Emily #47 in 2014, Sophie #106 in 2016.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1967–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Sophie in 14.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Sophie #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Sophie #6.
Norway · Girls47 shared years, 1973–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Sophie in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Sophie #106 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Sophie #178.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls41 shared years, 1985–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Sophie in 9.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Sophie #5 in 2004.
The order changed in 2019: Sophie moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #10 and #20; by 2019 that had become #23 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #61, Sophie #22.
New Zealand · Girls40 shared years, 1984–2023
Emily held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sophie in 27.
Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Sophie #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emily #30, Sophie #14.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Sophie in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Sophie #1 in 1996.
The order changed in 2011: Emily moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #3 and #2; by 2011 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Sophie #63.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sophie in 16.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Sophie #1 in 2010.
The order changed in 2013: Emily moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #2 and #1; by 2013 that had become #1 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Sophie #14.
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 | Sophie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | The French form of Sophia, from Ancient Greek 'sophia' meaning 'wisdom'. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Greek, via French transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /sɔ.fi/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · 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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Sophie is recorded with a Greek, via French transmission origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sophie.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Sophie'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 Sophie 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
Sophie
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #492 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #63 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls