Emil vs Muhammad
Emil and Muhammadcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Muhammad #1 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #2 and Muhammad #94 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Muhammad #2 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Muhammad #35 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Emil and Muhammad over time
Emil and Muhammad appear together in 3 published lists, across 125 years of shared records. Muhammad 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.
Emil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Muhammad 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 Muhammad changed places 12 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2025, ending at #2 and #94.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Muhammad were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #2 and #94.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1946–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Muhammad in 17.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Muhammad #70 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Muhammad #94.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Muhammad in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Muhammad #1 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Muhammad #1.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Muhammad in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Muhammad #35 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Muhammad #35.
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 | Muhammad |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Praiseworthy, commendable. |
| Origin | Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions | Arabic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeː.mɪl/ | /muˈħammad/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Mohammed, Mohammad, Mehmed |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Emil is recorded with a Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions origin, while Muhammad is recorded with a Arabic origin.
- Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Muhammad.
- Emil's recorded meaning differs from Muhammad's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Emil a "medium" Data Confidence level and Muhammad a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Muhammad
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #319 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys