Kathryn vs Emma
How Kathryn and Emma compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Kathryn (girls) vs Emma (girls), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Kathryn | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 1952 — 8,504 girls | 2003 — 22,719 girls |
| Peak rank | #48 | #2 |
| Most recent rank (2025) | #729 (381 births) | #3 (12,754 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 410,991 | 713,779 |
| Last 10 years (2016–2025) | 5,675 | 161,030 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Emma reached 22,719 US births in 2003 — 14,215 more than Kathryn's peak count.
Crossover Years
Years where one name first passed the other in annual US births. A name "winning" in a year means it had more births that year, not necessarily a higher rank.
| Year | New leader | Kathryn births | Emma births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Kathryn | 2,869 | 2,546 |
| 1994 | Emma | 4,620 | 4,765 |
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name list.
Kathryn — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | #256 | 22 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | #299 | 361 |
| 3 | Idaho | #304 | 36 |
| 4 | South Carolina | #333 | 138 |
| 5 | Alabama | #354 | 149 |
Emma — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | #1 | 17,678 |
| 2 | New York | #2 | 8,974 |
| 3 | New Jersey | #2 | 4,400 |
| 4 | Arizona | #2 | 3,425 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | #2 | 5,543 |
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Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →