Emil vs Laurence
Emil and Laurencecompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Laurence #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Laurence #389 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Emil was ranked #770 and Laurence #396 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Emil and Laurence over time
Emil and Laurence appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Laurence held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Emil in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Laurence reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 Laurence changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2006 and 2023, ending at #770 and #396.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laurence in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Laurence #161 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Laurence #389.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2006–2023
Emil held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Laurence in 12.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Laurence #299 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emil #770, Laurence #396.
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 | Laurence |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #389 (2024) |
| 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); Laurence does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Laurence.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Laurence doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Laurence
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #86 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #389 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys