Emma vs Hanna
Emma and Hannacompared 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 Hanna #53 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Hanna #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Hanna #244 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Hanna #287 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Emma was ranked #95 and Hanna #302 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Hanna over time
Emma and Hanna appear together in 4 published lists, across 175 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Hanna in 1.
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 4 of those lists, and Hanna 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 1998, Emma moved ahead of Hanna in Norway · Girls — #27 and #26 the year before became #9 and #28.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Hanna were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #1 and #53.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Emma #1 in 2003, Hanna #22 in 2004.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hanna in 46.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hanna #22 in 2004.
The order changed in 1998: Emma moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #27 and #26; by 1998 that had become #9 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Hanna #53.
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Hanna in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hanna #86 in 2013.
The order changed in 1966: Emma moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #198 and #167; by 1966 that had become #226 and #288.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Hanna #273.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hanna in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Hanna #141 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Hanna #287.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Hanna in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hanna #124 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #95, Hanna #302.
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 | Hanna |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #53 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Germanic); Hanna does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Hanna both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Hanna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Hanna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #164 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: #22 among girls in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #53 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls