Namewise

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 2025, Emma was ranked #85 and Lucy #143 among girls in England and Wales.

Emma and Lucy over time

Emma and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 238 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 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emma and Lucy averaged 18.5 places apart, ending at #85 and #143.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Emma and Lucy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #85 and #143.

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 · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Emma held the stronger position in 9 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, 2025: Emma #85, Lucy #143.

  • 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Emma

Pairs where Emma shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Lucy

Pairs where Lucy shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Emma, Lucy
FieldEmmaLucy
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA 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.
OriginGermanicLatin
Pronunciation/ˈɛm.ə//ˈluː.si/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #1 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1969–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1969–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #85 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Lucy

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #143 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls