Emil vs Joel
Emil and Joelcompared 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, Emil was ranked #2 and Joel #178 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Joel #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Joel #209 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Joel #278 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Joel #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Emil and Joel over time
Emil and Joel appear together in 3 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Joel 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.
Joel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Emil 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Joel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 51 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #2 and #178.
List by list
Norway · Boys51 shared years, 1969–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Joel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Joel #148 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Joel #178.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Joel #62 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Joel #209.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Joel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Joel #222 in 2006.
The order changed in 2025: Emil moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #770 and #516; by 2025 that had become #468 and #509.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Joel #509.
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 | Joel |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #178 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Joel does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Joel.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Joel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Joel
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #523 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1976–2010
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1976–2010).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #178 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys