William vs Emma

Side-by-side comparison of William and Emma — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

William

Boy name · Rank #10

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Name B

Emma

Girl name · Rank #2

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Which name is more popular?

Metric William Emma
Current Rank #10 #2
Total Births (all years) 4,189,004 763,546
Peak Year 1947 2003
Peak Year Births 67,001 22,719
Peak Decade 1950ss 2010ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade William Emma
1880ss 84,881 25,404
1890ss 72,244 28,652
1900ss 69,320 24,176
1910ss 303,018 41,819
1920ss 512,402 46,538
1930ss 416,728 30,022
1940ss 556,469 22,787
1950ss 591,226 14,614
1960ss 421,411 6,991
1970ss 283,415 4,667
1980ss 248,286 10,386
1990ss 217,818 58,250
2000ss 194,404 181,393
2010ss 159,945 195,028
2020ss 57,437 72,819

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year William Emma
2014 16,847 20,962
2015 15,945 20,485
2016 15,808 19,548
2017 15,042 19,870
2018 14,645 18,818
2019 13,649 17,221
2020 12,673 15,714
2021 12,166 15,543
2022 11,349 14,498
2023 10,653 13,579
2024 10,596 13,485

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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