Emma vs Rosa
Emma and Rosacompared 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 2023, Emma was ranked #1 and Rosa #452 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Rosa #226 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Rosa #108 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Rosa #94 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Rosa #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Rosa over time
Emma and Rosa appear together in 4 published lists, across 132 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Rosa 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.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Rosa 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 2023, Rosa moved ahead of Emma in Northern Ireland · Girls — #46 and #64 the year before became #95 and #72.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Rosa changed places 11 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2023, ending at #1 and #452.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Rosa were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 44 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #1 and #452.
List by list
Norway · Girls44 shared years, 1945–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Rosa in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2004, Rosa #298 in 1968.
The order changed in 1978: Emma moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #422 and #388; by 1978 that had become #195 and #580.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #1, Rosa #452.
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1970–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Rosa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Rosa #197 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Rosa #226.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Rosa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Rosa #94 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Rosa #94.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Rosa in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Rosa #53 in 2015.
The order changed in 2023: Rosa moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #46 and #64; by 2023 that had become #95 and #72.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Rosa #75.
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 | Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #226 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Rosa does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma and Rosa both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Rosa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Rosa
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #334 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #53 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 2001–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #226 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls