Emma vs Kathrin
Emma and Kathrincompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2008, Emma was ranked #31 and Kathrin #5545 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 1990, Emma was ranked #109 and Kathrin #660 among girls in Norway.
Emma and Kathrin over time
Emma and Kathrin appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kathrin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Kathrin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Emma 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Kathrin changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1964 and 1990, ending at #109 and #660.
- Mirrored each other
Over 23 shared years in Norway · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Kathrin fell — from #425 and #436 in 1964 to #109 and #660 in 1990.
List by list
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1964–1990
Emma held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Kathrin in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emma #109 in 1987, Kathrin #285 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Emma #109, Kathrin #660.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Emma
Pairs where Emma shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Emma vs Danielle
In 1996 they stood at #14 and #20 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #85 and #1454.
Emma · Danielle · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Emma vs Megan
In 1996 they stood at #14 and #10 in England and Wales · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #85 and #816.
Emma · Megan · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Emma vs Bethany
In 1996 they stood at #14 and #13 in England and Wales · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #85 and #585.
Emma · Bethany · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Emma vs Courtney
In 1997 they stood at #4 and #12 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2017 they were #22 and #432.
Emma · Courtney · 21 shared years, 1997–2017 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Emma | Kathrin |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5545 (2008) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Kathrin does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Kathrin both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Kathrin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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 #85 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Kathrin
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #508 among girls in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–1990
Highest recorded position: #285 among girls in Norway, in 1976 (recorded 1962–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent1990
Most recently recorded at #660 among girls in Norway, in 1990.
Norway · Girls