Emil vs Martin
Emil and Martincompared 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 Martin #69 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Martin #102 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Martin #157 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Martin #346 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Martin #352 among boys in Scotland.
Emil and Martin over time
Emil and Martin appear together in 3 published lists, across 129 years of shared records. Martin 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.
Martin 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Emil moved ahead of Martin in Norway · Boys — #13 and #9 the year before became #10 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Martin were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #69.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Martin in 61.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Martin #1 in 1992.
The order changed in 2006: Emil moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #13 and #9; by 2006 that had become #10 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Martin #69.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Martin in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Martin #109 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Martin #346.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Martin in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Martin #69 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Martin #102.
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 | Martin |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | From the Roman name Martinus, connected to Mars, the Roman god of war. Widely known through Saint Martin of Tours, a 4th-century bishop and patron saint of France. |
| Origin | Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions | Latin (Ancient Roman) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeː.mɪl/ | /ˈmɑɹ.tɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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 #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Martin is recorded with a Latin (Ancient Roman) origin.
- Emil and Martin both have 2 syllables.
- Emil's recorded meaning differs from Martin'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
Martin
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #83 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 1992 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys