Emma vs Muriel
Emma and Murielcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1984, Emma was ranked #8 and Muriel #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Muriel #3318 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Muriel over time
Emma and Muriel appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Muriel 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.
Muriel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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 1968, Emma moved ahead of Muriel in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #179 and #179 the year before became #161 and #225.
- Mirrored each other
Over 21 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Muriel fell — from #245 and #215 in 1964 to #8 and #516 in 1984.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1964–1984
Emma held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Muriel in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emma #7 in 1981, Muriel #179 in 1967.
The order changed in 1968: Emma moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #179 and #179; by 1968 that had become #161 and #225.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Emma #8, Muriel #516.
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 | Muriel |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Muriel does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Muriel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Muriel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Muriel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #215 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–1984
Highest recorded position: #179 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1964–1984).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls