Emma vs Lilly
Emma and Lillycompared 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 Lilly #38 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Emma was ranked #24 and Lilly #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Lilly #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Lilly #138 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2022, Emma was ranked #55 and Lilly #97 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Lilly #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Lilly #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Lilly over time
Emma and Lilly appear together in 6 published lists, across 182 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Lilly 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 6 of those lists, and Lilly 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 Lilly changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #1 and #38.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Lilly were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 73 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #1 and #38.
List by list
Norway · Girls73 shared years, 1945–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Lilly in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Lilly #30 in 2015.
The order changed in 1972: Emma moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #441 and #353; by 1972 that had become #430 and #440.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Lilly #38.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Lilly in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Lilly #27 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Lilly #130.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1983–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Lilly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Lilly #75 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Lilly #141.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2005–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Lilly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #2 in 2005, Lilly #106 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Lilly #227.
New Zealand · Girls18 shared years, 2005–2022
Emma held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Lilly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2005, Lilly #39 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Emma #55, Lilly #97.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2003–2017
Emma held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lilly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #7 in 2003, Lilly #35 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Emma #24, Lilly #89.
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 | Lilly |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #38 (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); Lilly does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Lilly both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Lilly doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Lilly
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #150 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: #27 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls