Emil vs Jonathan
Emil and Jonathancompared 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 Jonathan #93 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Jonathan #157 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Jonathan #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Jonathan #302 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Jonathan #352 among boys in Scotland.
Emil and Jonathan over time
Emil and Jonathan appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Jonathan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Emil in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jonathan 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 Jonathan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 64 years, from 1949 to 2025, ending at #2 and #93.
List by list
Norway · Boys64 shared years, 1949–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 64 of those years, Jonathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Jonathan #32 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Jonathan #93.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jonathan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Jonathan #39 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Jonathan #302.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jonathan in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Jonathan #106 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Jonathan #223.
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 | Jonathan |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #93 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| 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); Jonathan does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jonathan.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Jonathan 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
Jonathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #371 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2013
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New Zealand, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2013).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #93 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys