Emma vs Natalie
Emma and Nataliecompared 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 Natalie #269 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2014, Emma was ranked #20 and Natalie #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Emma was ranked #20 and Natalie #84 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Natalie #381 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Natalie #541 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Emma was ranked #55 and Natalie #350 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Natalie #503 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Natalie over time
Emma and Natalie appear together in 6 published lists, across 249 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Natalie in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Natalie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Emma in 1. 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 Natalie in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #14 and #12 the year before became #12 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 44 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emma and Natalie averaged 24.2 places apart, ending at #20 and #93.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Natalie were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 44 years, from 1969 to 2014, ending at #20 and #93.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Natalie #42 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Natalie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natalie #76 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Natalie #381.
Norway · Girls54 shared years, 1968–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Natalie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natalie #69 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Natalie #269.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls44 shared years, 1969–2014
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Natalie in 10.
Highest recorded here: Emma #3 in 1988, Natalie #9 in 1976.
The order changed in 1979: Emma moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #14 and #12; by 1979 that had become #12 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Emma #20, Natalie #93.
New Zealand · Girls38 shared years, 1969–2014
Emma held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Natalie in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2004, Natalie #16 in 1984.
The order changed in 1972: Emma moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #88 and #72; by 1972 that had become #58 and #65.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Emma #20, Natalie #84.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Natalie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Natalie #42 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Natalie #503.
Northern Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1997–2021
Emma held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Natalie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natalie #66 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Emma #55, Natalie #350.
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 | Natalie |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From the Roman names Natalis/Natalia, from Latin 'natalis' ('relating to birth, birthday') — connecting the name to Christmas Day as Jesus's traditional birthday. |
| Origin | Germanic | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈnæt.ə.li/ |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #269 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Natalie is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Natalie.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Natalie'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
Natalie
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2014
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1964–2014).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #269 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls