Emma vs Ottilie
Emma and Ottiliecompared 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 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Ottilie #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Ottilie #260 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Ottilie #71 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Ottilie #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Ottilie over time
Emma and Ottilie appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ottilie in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ottilie 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Ottilie in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Ottilie #69 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Ottilie #71.
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 | Ottilie |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| 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); Ottilie does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Ottilie.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Ottilie doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Ottilie
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1522 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #69 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls