Drake vs Emil
Drake 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Drake was ranked #718 and Emil #310 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Drake was ranked #4270 and Emil #737 among boys in England and Wales.
Drake and Emil over time
Drake and Emil appear together in 1 published list, across 22 years of shared records. Emil held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Drake in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Drake reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Emil 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 2001–2024
Drake held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Emil in 21.
Highest recorded here: Drake #682 in 2012, Emil #506 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Drake #4270, Emil #737.
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 | Drake | 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 | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) | 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) | 60/100 | 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); Drake does not have one recorded yet.
- Drake and Emil both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Drake doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Drake
Popularity journey
First recorded2001
First recorded at #3134 among boys in England and Wales in 2001 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #682 among boys in England and Wales, in 2012 (recorded 2001–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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