Emil vs Rafael
Emil and Rafaelcompared 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 Rafael #328 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Rafael #215 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Rafael #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Rafael #619 among boys in Scotland.
Emil and Rafael over time
Emil and Rafael appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Rafael held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Emil in 1.
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.
Emil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Rafael 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 Rafael changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2006 and 2025, ending at #468 and #329.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Rafael were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 49 years, from 1963 to 2025, ending at #2 and #328.
List by list
Norway · Boys49 shared years, 1963–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 49 of those years, Rafael in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Rafael #222 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Rafael #328.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Rafael in 23.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Rafael #181 in 2022.
The order changed in 2002: Rafael moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #686 and #728; by 2002 that had become #993 and #586.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Rafael #215.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Rafael in 13.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Rafael #306 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Rafael #329.
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 | Rafael |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #328 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions); Rafael does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil and Rafael both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Rafael doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Rafael
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #328 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys