Emma vs Eva
Emma and Evacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #1 and Eva #22 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Eva #69 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Eva #42 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Eva #62 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Eva #54 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emma was ranked #67 and Eva #60 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #65 and Eva #80 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Emma and Eva over time
Emma and Eva appear together in 6 published lists, across 237 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Eva in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Eva in 1. 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 2009, Eva moved ahead of Emma in England and Wales · Girls — #31 and #41 the year before became #41 and #38.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Eva changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2005 and 2025, ending at #65 and #80.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emma and Eva averaged 12.0 places apart, ending at #65 and #80.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Eva were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #1 and #22.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Eva in 40.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Eva #6 in 1952.
The order changed in 1992: Emma moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #131 and #117; by 1992 that had become #97 and #136.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Eva #22.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Eva in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Eva #37 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Eva #69.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Eva in 16.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Eva #24 in 2012.
The order changed in 2009: Eva moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #31 and #41; by 2009 that had become #41 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Eva #54.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Eva in 14.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Eva #8 in 2009.
The order changed in 2011: Eva moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #9 and #14; by 2011 that had become #16 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Eva #42.
New Zealand · Girls22 shared years, 2002–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Eva in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Eva #19 in 2012.
The order changed in 2023: Eva moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #55 and #56; by 2023 that had become #67 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #67, Eva #60.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 2005–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Eva in 3.
Highest recorded here: Emma #11 in 2005, Eva #21 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #65, Eva #80.
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 | Emma | Eva |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A shortened form of Germanic names beginning with the element 'irmin' ('whole, great'), from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz. Introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, wife of King Ethelred II and later King Canute; further popularised by Jane Austen's 1816 novel Emma. | A form of Eve used across many languages, from the Hebrew root 'hawa'. |
| Origin | Germanic | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈeh.vah/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #22 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Eva is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Emma and Eva both have 2 syllables.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Eva'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
Emma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #342 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1969–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1969–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Eva
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #8 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #80 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls