Emma vs Lucy
Emma and Lucycompared 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 Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emma was ranked #67 and Lucy #21 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #65 and Lucy #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Lucy #123 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Lucy over time
Emma and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 237 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lucy in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 Lucy 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 2018, Lucy moved ahead of Emma in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #24 and #34 the year before became #31 and #25.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Lucy changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #28 and #16.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emma and Lucy averaged 17.2 places apart, ending at #69 and #123.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Lucy were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 41 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #65 and #32.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Lucy in 12.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Lucy #3 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Lucy #16.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1979–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Lucy in 9.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Lucy #12 in 2006.
The order changed in 2016: Lucy moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #13 and #16; by 2016 that had become #26 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #67, Lucy #21.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls41 shared years, 1985–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Lucy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Emma #3 in 1988, Lucy #20 in 2012.
The order changed in 2018: Lucy moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #24 and #34; by 2018 that had become #31 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #65, Lucy #32.
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Lucy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2004, Lucy #212 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Lucy #296.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Lucy in 21.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Lucy #7 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Lucy #123.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Lucy in 17.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Lucy #4 in 2007.
The order changed in 2009: Lucy moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #5 and #6; by 2009 that had become #6 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Lucy #38.
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 | Lucy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. |
| Origin | Germanic | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈluː.si/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Emma and Lucy both have 2 syllables.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Lucy's — see the table above for each.
- 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
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls