Emma vs Hannah
Emma and Hannahcompared 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 Hannah #116 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Hannah #21 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Hannah #66 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Hannah #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #65 and Hannah #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emma was ranked #67 and Hannah #77 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Hannah #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Hannah over time
Emma and Hannah appear together in 6 published lists, across 257 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Hannah 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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 2016, Emma moved ahead of Hannah in England and Wales · Girls — #60 and #55 the year before became #53 and #57.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Hannah changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1983 and 2025, ending at #65 and #73.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emma and Hannah averaged 12.2 places apart, ending at #69 and #107.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Hannah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 43 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #65 and #73.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Hannah #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Hannah in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hannah #5 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Hannah #21.
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1976–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 49 of those years, Hannah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hannah #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Hannah #116.
New Zealand · Girls46 shared years, 1978–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Hannah in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hannah #2 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #67, Hannah #77.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls43 shared years, 1983–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Hannah in 12.
Highest recorded here: Emma #3 in 1988, Hannah #8 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #65, Hannah #73.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Hannah in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Hannah #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2016: Emma moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #60 and #55; by 2016 that had become #53 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Hannah #107.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Hannah in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Hannah #6 in 1998.
The order changed in 2016: Hannah moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #20 and #22; by 2016 that had become #25 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Hannah #57.
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 | Hannah |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'favour' or 'grace', referring to graciousness. |
| Origin | Germanic | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈhænə/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Hannah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Emma and Hannah both have 2 syllables.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Hannah'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
Hannah
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #91 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 recorded1978–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 1996 (recorded 1978–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls