Namewise

Emil vs Kye

Emil and Kyecompared 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 2020, Emil was ranked #459 and Kye #741 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Kye #727 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Kye #1108 among boys in England and Wales.

Emil and Kye over time

Emil and Kye appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Kye held the stronger position in more years in 1 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.

Kye 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.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Emil held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Kye in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Kye #176 in 2004.

    The order changed in 2021: Emil moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #656 and #601; by 2021 that had become #695 and #1055.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Kye #1108.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Emil, Kye
FieldEmilKye
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom the Roman family name Aemilius, itself from Latin 'aemulus' meaning 'rival'.Not yet recorded
OriginLatin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditionsNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈeː.mɪl/Not yet recorded
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #2 (2025)Scotland · Boys #727 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Emil has a recorded origin (Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions); Kye does not have one recorded yet.
  • Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kye.
  • A meaning is recorded for Emil; Kye doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

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

Kye

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1996

    First recorded at #376 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2001–2005

    Highest recorded position: #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2001 (recorded 2001–2005).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #1108 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys