Emma vs Leona
Emma and Leonacompared 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 Leona #267 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Leona #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Leona #541 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Emma was ranked #55 and Leona #298 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Leona #980 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Leona over time
Emma and Leona appear together in 4 published lists, across 136 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Leona in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Leona 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 61 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Leona fell — from #198 and #282 in 1965 to #28 and #608 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Leona were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #28 and #608.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1965–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Leona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Leona #97 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Leona #608.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Leona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Leona #200 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Leona #980.
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 2002–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Leona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Leona #161 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Leona #267.
Northern Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1997–2021
Emma held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Leona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Leona #91 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Emma #55, Leona #298.
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 | Leona |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #267 (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); Leona does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Leona both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Leona 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
Leona
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #282 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2021
Highest recorded position: #91 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2021).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #267 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls