Emma vs Kate
Emma and Katecompared 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 2022, Emma was ranked #2 and Kate #490 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Emma was ranked #20 and Kate #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Emma was ranked #20 and Kate #81 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Kate #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Kate #541 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Kate #1302 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Kate #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Kate over time
Emma and Kate appear together in 6 published lists, across 253 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Kate in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Emma 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 36 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emma and Kate averaged 24.6 places apart, ending at #20 and #84.
- Mirrored each other
Over 60 shared years in Norway · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Kate fell — from #342 and #233 in 1945 to #2 and #490 in 2022.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Kate were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 36 years, from 1973 to 2008, ending at #20 and #84.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Kate #59 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Girls60 shared years, 1945–2022
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Kate in 26.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Kate #104 in 1956.
The order changed in 1977: Emma moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #422 and #197; by 1977 that had become #240 and #245.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Emma #2, Kate #490.
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Kate #10 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Kate #52.
New Zealand · Girls42 shared years, 1973–2014
Emma held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Kate #14 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Emma #20, Kate #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls36 shared years, 1973–2008
Emma held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #3 in 1988, Kate #11 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Emma #20, Kate #84.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Kate #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Kate #1302.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Kate #47 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Kate #134.
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 | Kate |
|---|---|---|
| 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 short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. |
| Origin | Germanic | Greek, short form of Katherine |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈkeɪt/ |
| 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 #52 (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 Kate is recorded with a Greek, short form of Katherine origin.
- Emma and Kate both have 2 syllables.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Kate'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
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls