Colin vs Emil
Colin and Emilcompared 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 · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #119 and Emil #2 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #348 and Emil #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Colin was ranked #398 and Emil #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Emil #737 among boys in England and Wales.
Colin and Emil over time
Colin and Emil appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Emil held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Colin in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Colin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Emil 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Emil were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 44 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #119 and #2.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1946–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Emil in 43.
Highest recorded here: Colin #119 in 2025, Emil #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #119, Emil #2.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Emil in 15.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Emil #506 in 2015.
The order changed in 2011: Emil moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #491 and #668; by 2011 that had become #732 and #631.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Emil #737.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Emil in 0.
Highest recorded here: Colin #88 in 2006, Emil #310 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Emil #468.
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 | Colin | Emil |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman family name Aemilius, itself from Latin 'aemulus' meaning 'rival'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈeː.mɪl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emil has a recorded origin (Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions); Colin does not have one recorded yet.
- Colin and Emil both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Colin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Colin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1983
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Emil
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #271 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2008 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys