Emil vs Mathias
Emil and Mathiascompared 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 Mathias #41 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Mathias #406 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Mathias #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Emil and Mathias over time
Emil and Mathias appear together in 3 published lists, across 106 years of shared records. Emil held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mathias in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, Mathias 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emil and Mathias changed places 12 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #2 and #41.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Emil and Mathias averaged 43.2 places apart, ending at #2 and #41.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Mathias were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #41.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1945–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Mathias in 21.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Mathias #2 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Mathias #41.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Mathias in 7.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Mathias #406 in 2024.
The order changed in 2018: Mathias moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #650 and #709; by 2018 that had become #731 and #584.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Mathias #406.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2008–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Mathias in 3.
Highest recorded here: Emil #346 in 2008, Mathias #396 in 2023.
The order changed in 2023: Mathias moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #509 and #779; by 2023 that had become #770 and #396.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Mathias #432.
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 | Mathias |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #41 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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); Mathias does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil and Mathias both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Mathias doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Mathias
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #307 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: #2 among boys in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #41 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys