Emma vs Rebecca
Emma and Rebeccacompared 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 Rebecca #485 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2011, Emma was ranked #14 and Rebecca #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Emma was ranked #20 and Rebecca #94 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Rebecca #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Rebecca #431 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Rebecca #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #85 and Rebecca #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Rebecca over time
Emma and Rebecca appear together in 6 published lists, across 264 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Rebecca in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rebecca reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 2003, Emma moved ahead of Rebecca in England and Wales · Girls — #27 and #18 the year before became #19 and #25.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Rebecca changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #84 and #337.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 40 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emma and Rebecca averaged 23.1 places apart, ending at #20 and #94.
- Mirrored each other
Over 40 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Emma rose about as far as Rebecca fell — from #90 and #41 in 1969 to #20 and #94 in 2008.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Rebecca were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #85 and #413.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #14 and #8 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #85 and #413.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Rebecca in 4.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Rebecca #7 in 1995.
The order changed in 1968: Emma moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #179 and #168; by 1968 that had become #161 and #173.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Rebecca #141.
Norway · Girls61 shared years, 1955–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Rebecca in 15.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Rebecca #55 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #1, Rebecca #485.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1969–2011
Emma held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Rebecca in 17.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Rebecca #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 1986: Emma moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #5 and #3; by 1986 that had become #3 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Emma #14, Rebecca #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls40 shared years, 1969–2008
Emma held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Rebecca in 23.
Highest recorded here: Emma #3 in 1988, Rebecca #1 in 1976.
The order changed in 1995: Emma moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #6 and #4; by 1995 that had become #4 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Emma #20, Rebecca #94.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Rebecca in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Emma moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #27 and #18; by 2003 that had become #19 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #85, Rebecca #413.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Rebecca in 3.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Rebecca #2 in 1999.
The order changed in 2024: Emma moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #95 and #91; by 2024 that had become #84 and #337.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Rebecca #337.
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 | Rebecca |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Traditionally associated with concepts of 'joining', 'tying', or a 'team/yoke' — a binding or connecting sense, from a Semitic root about fastening things together. |
| Origin | Germanic | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /rəˈbɛkə/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (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 Rebecca is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka origin.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Rebecca.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Rebecca'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 #85 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Rebecca
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #440 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2008
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1966–2008).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls