Emil vs Harold
Emil and Haroldcompared 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 2013, Emil was ranked #422 and Harold #711 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Harold #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Emil and Harold over time
Emil and Harold appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Emil held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Harold 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.
Harold 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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emil and Harold changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #737 and #1025.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Harold in 8.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Harold #394 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Emil moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #914 and #885; by 2007 that had become #664 and #1169.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Harold #1025.
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 | Emil | Harold |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Roman family name Aemilius, itself from Latin 'aemulus' meaning 'rival'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeː.mɪl/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1025 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Harold does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil and Harold both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Harold doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Harold
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1953
Highest recorded position: #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1953).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1025 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys