Emma vs Natasha
Emma and Natashacompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2005, Emma was ranked #1 and Natasha #82 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2015, Emma was ranked #1 and Natasha #565 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #17 and Natasha #736 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Emma was ranked #20 and Natasha #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Emma was ranked #34 and Natasha #336 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Natasha #1262 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Natasha over time
Emma and Natasha appear together in 6 published lists, across 215 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Natasha in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Natasha 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emma and Natasha averaged 31.2 places apart, ending at #20 and #79.
- Mirrored each other
Over 58 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Natasha fell — from #198 and #385 in 1965 to #17 and #736 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Natasha were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 38 years, from 1971 to 2008, ending at #20 and #79.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Natasha #33 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1965–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Natasha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natasha #69 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #17, Natasha #736.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls38 shared years, 1971–2008
Emma held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Natasha in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emma #3 in 1988, Natasha #23 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Emma #20, Natasha #79.
New Zealand · Girls35 shared years, 1971–2005
Emma held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Natasha in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natasha #8 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Emma #1, Natasha #82.
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1970–2015
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Natasha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natasha #343 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Emma #1, Natasha #565.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Natasha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Natasha #33 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Natasha #1262.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2019
Emma held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Natasha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Natasha #34 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Emma #34, Natasha #336.
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 | Natasha |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Germanic); Natasha does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Natasha.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Natasha doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Natasha
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1971–2005
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1976 (recorded 1971–2005).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1262 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls