Colum vs Emmet
Colum and Emmetcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Colum was ranked #403 and Emmet #247 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Colum was ranked #605 and Emmet #276 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 1999, Colum was ranked #2425 and Emmet #1850 among boys in England and Wales.
Colum and Emmet over time
Colum and Emmet appear together in 1 published list, across 48 years of shared records. Emmet held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Colum in 0.
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.
Colum reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Emmet 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 1972, Emmet moved ahead of Colum in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #117 and #131 the year before became #141 and #125.
- Longest-running competitions
Colum and Emmet were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 48 years, from 1965 to 2013, ending at #605 and #276.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys48 shared years, 1965–2013
Colum held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Emmet in 41.
Highest recorded here: Colum #115 in 1969, Emmet #82 in 1992.
The order changed in 1972: Emmet moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #117 and #131; by 1972 that had become #141 and #125.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Colum #605, Emmet #276.
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 | Colum | Emmet |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #605 (2013) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colum and Emmet both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Colum
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #119 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2013
Highest recorded position: #115 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2013).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2013
Most recently recorded at #605 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2013.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Emmet
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #82 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1992 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4275 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys