Head-to-head
Emma vs Emily
Two short, soft, vowel-rich girls' names from different roots — Emma is Old German, Emily is Latin via the Roman gens Aemilia. They were the #1 and #2 of the late 1990s; the order has reversed since.
Italian · Girl
Emma
“From Germanic ermen, 'whole' or 'universal'.”
- Current US rank
- #2
- Born last year
- 1 in 120
- Syllables
- 2
- Vibes
- literary, vintage
· Girl
Emily
“From Latin Aemilius, 'rival' or 'industrious'”
- Current US rank
- #25
- Born last year
- 1 in 271
- Syllables
- 3
- Vibes
- literary, classical
Popularity since 1880
A century of charts.
Emma
Emily
US SSA data. Lower rank means more popular. Flat lines at the top mean the name was outside the top 1000 that year.
The verdict
Which one should you choose?
Pick Emma if…
Choose Emma for the modern, cleaner two-syllable shape. It's been at the top of the chart for a decade, but it doesn't feel overused — partly because the structure is so simple.
Pick Emily if…
Choose Emily for the slightly more traditional, slightly more elegant register. Three syllables, an extra layer of formality, easier middle-name pairing.
Either way
Emma is rising; Emily is falling. If popularity matters less than feel, both are wonderful — and you'll never regret either.
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