Emma vs Ruby
Emma and Rubycompared 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 Ruby #450 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emma was ranked #67 and Ruby #17 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #65 and Ruby #28 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Ruby #36 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Ruby #34 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Ruby #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Ruby #41 among girls in England and Wales.
Emma and Ruby over time
Emma and Ruby appear together in 5 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ruby in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 5 of those lists, and Ruby 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 2005, Ruby moved ahead of Emma in England and Wales · Girls — #20 and #31 the year before became #23 and #12.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emma and Ruby averaged 40.5 places apart, ending at #69 and #41.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Ruby were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 32 years, from 1992 to 2023, ending at #67 and #17.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1991–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ruby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Ruby #16 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Ruby #36.
New Zealand · Girls32 shared years, 1992–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Ruby in 15.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Ruby #1 in 2011.
The order changed in 2009: Ruby moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #7 and #13; by 2009 that had become #9 and #2.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #67, Ruby #17.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ruby in 20.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Ruby #1 in 2007.
The order changed in 2005: Ruby moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #20 and #31; by 2005 that had become #23 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Ruby #41.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Ruby in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emma #4 in 1997, Ruby #2 in 2011.
The order changed in 2007: Ruby moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #18 and #21; by 2007 that had become #19 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #65, Ruby #28.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1998–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Ruby in 6.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Ruby #18 in 2011.
The order changed in 2019: Ruby moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #27 and #29; by 2019 that had become #34 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Ruby #38.
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 | Ruby |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Taken from the gemstone name; the ruby is the traditional July birthstone. As a given name it came into use in the 16th century. |
| Origin | Germanic | English, ultimately from Latin rubeus ('red') |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | /ˈruːbi/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #28 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Ruby is recorded with a English, ultimately from Latin rubeus ('red') origin.
- Emma and Ruby both have 2 syllables.
- Emma's recorded meaning differs from Ruby'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 #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Ruby
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #515 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2007 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #28 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls