Emma vs Kitty
Emma and Kittycompared 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 2008, Emma was ranked #1 and Kitty #565 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Kitty #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Emma was ranked #46 and Kitty #418 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Kitty #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Kitty over time
Emma and Kitty appear together in 4 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Kitty 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.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Kitty in 1. 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 1978, Emma moved ahead of Kitty in Norway · Girls — #421 and #381 the year before became #195 and #513.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Kitty changed places 11 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2008, ending at #1 and #565.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Norway · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Kitty fell — from #342 and #276 in 1945 to #1 and #565 in 2008.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Kitty in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Kitty #189 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Kitty #952.
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1945–2008
Emma held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Kitty in 14.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2005, Kitty #195 in 1947.
The order changed in 1978: Emma moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #421 and #381; by 1978 that had become #195 and #513.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Emma #1, Kitty #565.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kitty in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Kitty #229 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Kitty #294.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2004–2022
Emma held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kitty in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #2 in 2004, Kitty #282 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Emma #46, Kitty #418.
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 | Kitty |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (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); Kitty does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Kitty both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Kitty doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Kitty
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #276 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #189 among girls in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls