Namewise

Elias vs Emil

Elias 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, Elias was ranked #4 and Emil #2 among boys in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Elias was ranked #79 and Emil #737 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Elias was ranked #185 and Emil #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Elias was ranked #199 and Emil #619 among boys in Scotland.

Elias and Emil over time

Elias and Emil appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Elias held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Emil 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.

Emil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Elias 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1945–2025

    Elias held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Emil in 62.

    Highest recorded here: Elias #3 in 2006, Emil #1 in 2008.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #4, Emil #2.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Elias held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Emil in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Elias #79 in 2024, Emil #506 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Elias #79, Emil #737.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025

    Elias held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Emil in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Elias #185 in 2025, Emil #310 in 2012.

    The order changed in 2013: Elias moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #548 and #310; by 2013 that had become #404 and #422.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #185, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Elias

Pairs where Elias shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Emil

Pairs where Emil shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Elias, Emil
FieldEliasEmil
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA form of Elijah, commonly interpreted as 'my God is Yahweh'.From the Roman family name Aemilius, itself from Latin 'aemulus' meaning 'rival'.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via GreekLatin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions
Pronunciation/ɪˈlaɪəs//ˈeː.mɪl/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #4 (2025)Norway · Boys #2 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Elias is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek origin, while Emil is recorded with a Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions origin.
  • Elias and Emil both have 2 syllables.
  • Elias's recorded meaning differs from Emil's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.

How each name got here

Elias

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #328 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Emil

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2008 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys