Emma vs Fiadh
Emma and Fiadhcompared 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, Emma was ranked #84 and Fiadh #3 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Fiadh #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Fiadh #72 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Fiadh #374 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Fiadh over time
Emma and Fiadh appear together in 3 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Fiadh 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.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Fiadh 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Fiadh moved ahead of Emma in Northern Ireland · Girls — #22 and #32 the year before became #27 and #20.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 2002–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Fiadh in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Fiadh #1 in 2021.
The order changed in 2019: Fiadh moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #3 and #10; by 2019 that had become #12 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Fiadh #3.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 2008–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Fiadh in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emma #5 in 2008, Fiadh #2 in 2023.
The order changed in 2018: Fiadh moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #22 and #32; by 2018 that had become #27 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Fiadh #3.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2013–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Fiadh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #52 in 2017, Fiadh #355 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Fiadh #374.
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 | Fiadh |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Carries dual meanings in Modern Irish: 'wild, wild animal, deer' (from Irish 'fia'), or alternatively 'respect'. |
| Origin | Germanic | Irish (modern) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈfʲiə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Fiadh is recorded with a Irish (modern) origin.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Fiadh.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Fiadh's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Fiadh
Popularity journey
First recorded2002
First recorded at #620 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 2002 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2002–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls