Namewise

Edel vs Emer

Edel and Emercompared 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 · Girls

    In 2008, Edel was ranked #439 and Emer #157 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2017, Edel was ranked #873 and Emer #324 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2007, Edel was ranked #5201 and Emer #2627 among girls in England and Wales.

Edel and Emer over time

Edel and Emer appear together in 1 published list, across 54 years of shared records. Emer held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Edel 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.

Emer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Edel 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 1996, Emer moved ahead of Edel in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #56 and #60 the year before became #90 and #61.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Edel and Emer changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2017, ending at #873 and #324.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Edel and Emer were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2017, ending at #873 and #324.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 19642017

    Edel held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Emer in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Edel #31 in 1986, Emer #43 in 1983.

    The order changed in 1996: Emer moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #56 and #60; by 1996 that had become #90 and #61.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Edel #873, Emer #324.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Edel, Emer
FieldEdelEmer
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NOGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #262 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Edel and Emer both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Edel

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #86 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2017

    Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1986 (recorded 1964–2017).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #262 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Emer

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #108 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #43 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1983 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls