Emma vs Lorraine
Emma and Lorrainecompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Emma was ranked #2 and Lorraine #301 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Emma was ranked #3 and Lorraine #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Lorraine #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Lorraine over time
Emma and Lorraine appear together in 2 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lorraine 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.
Lorraine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1979, Emma moved ahead of Lorraine in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #24 and #16 the year before became #11 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Lorraine were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #3 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Lorraine #661 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2018
Emma held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Lorraine in 15.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Lorraine #14 in 1979.
The order changed in 1979: Emma moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #24 and #16; by 1979 that had become #11 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Emma #3, Lorraine #896.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lorraine in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Lorraine #661 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Lorraine #2115.
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 | Lorraine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Lorraine does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Lorraine.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Lorraine doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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
Lorraine
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #27 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls