Emma vs Maria
Emma and Mariacompared 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 Maria #62 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1985, Emma was ranked #9 and Maria #95 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2016, Emma was ranked #26 and Maria #78 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Maria #74 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Maria #120 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Maria #91 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Maria #97 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Maria over time
Emma and Maria appear together in 6 published lists, across 251 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Maria in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Maria reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Emma in 2. 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 1975, Emma moved ahead of Maria in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #42 and #34 the year before became #22 and #43.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emma and Maria averaged 50.7 places apart, ending at #69 and #91.
- Mirrored each other
Over 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Maria fell — from #245 and #33 in 1964 to #28 and #74 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Maria were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 41 years, from 1969 to 2016, ending at #26 and #78.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Maria in 51.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Maria #3 in 1982.
The order changed in 2002: Emma moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #9 and #3; by 2002 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Maria #62.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Maria in 12.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Maria #23 in 1967.
The order changed in 1976: Emma moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #38 and #31; by 1976 that had become #36 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Maria #74.
New Zealand · Girls41 shared years, 1969–2016
Emma held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Maria in 4.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Maria #32 in 1969.
The order changed in 1973: Emma moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #58 and #52; by 1973 that had become #56 and #59.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Emma #26, Maria #78.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Maria in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Maria #66 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Maria #91.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Maria in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Maria #49 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Maria #97.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls16 shared years, 1969–1985
Emma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Maria in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emma #9 in 1982, Maria #20 in 1969.
The order changed in 1975: Emma moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #42 and #34; by 1975 that had become #22 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Emma #9, Maria #95.
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 | Maria |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary). |
| Origin | Germanic | Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ/ |
| 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 #62 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Maria is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission origin.
- Emma and Maria both have 2 syllables.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Maria'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
Maria
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #126 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls