Emma vs Roberta
Emma and Robertacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Emma was ranked #3 and Roberta #344 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Emma was ranked #15 and Roberta #883 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Roberta #1160 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Roberta over time
Emma and Roberta appear together in 2 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Roberta 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.
Roberta reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 1965, Emma moved ahead of Roberta in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #245 and #234 the year before became #198 and #282.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Roberta were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1964 to 2021, ending at #15 and #883.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Emma #13 in 1997, Roberta #526 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1964–2021
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Roberta in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emma #2 in 1990, Roberta #234 in 1964.
The order changed in 1965: Emma moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #245 and #234; by 1965 that had become #198 and #282.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Emma #15, Roberta #883.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Roberta in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Roberta #526 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Roberta #1160.
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 | Roberta |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1160 (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); Roberta does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Roberta.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Roberta doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Roberta
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #234 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 recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #234 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1160 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls