Emil vs Jonas
Emil and Jonascompared 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 Jonas #49 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Jonas #264 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Jonas #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Jonas #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Jonas #691 among boys in England and Wales.
Emil and Jonas over time
Emil and Jonas appear together in 3 published lists, across 125 years of shared records. Jonas held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Emil 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.
Emil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jonas 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Emil moved ahead of Jonas in Norway · Boys — #3 and #1 the year before became #1 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emil and Jonas changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #737 and #691.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 77 shared years in Norway · Boys, Emil and Jonas averaged 52.1 places apart, ending at #2 and #49.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Jonas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #49.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Emil #1 in 2008, Jonas #1 in 2006.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Jonas in 45.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Jonas #1 in 2006.
The order changed in 2008: Emil moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #3 and #1; by 2008 that had become #1 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Jonas #49.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jonas in 25.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Jonas #422 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Jonas #691.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jonas in 8.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Jonas #313 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Jonas #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.
Side by side
| Field | Emil | Jonas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Roman family name Aemilius, itself from Latin 'aemulus' meaning 'rival'. | Traditionally associated with the biblical figure Jonah; some traditions link the underlying Hebrew root to 'dove'. |
| Origin | Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions | Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeː.mɪl/ | /ˈjuː.nas/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #49 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emil is recorded with a Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions origin, while Jonas is recorded with a Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition origin.
- Emil and Jonas both have 2 syllables.
- Emil's recorded meaning differs from Jonas'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
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
Jonas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #257 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 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys