Emil vs Ralph

Emil and Ralphcompared 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 Ralph #94 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Ralph #246 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Ralph #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Ralph #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Emil and Ralph over time

Emil and Ralph appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Emil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ralph 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 Ralph changed places 10 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2006 and 2025, ending at #468 and #372.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ralph in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Ralph #81 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Ralph #94.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ralph in 8.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, Ralph #322 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, Ralph #372.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Emil

Pairs where Emil shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Emil vs Aksel
Emil and Aksel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #25.
Emil · Aksel · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Emil vs Anders
Emil and Anders were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #293.
Emil · Anders · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Emil vs Arne
Emil and Arne were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #222.
Emil · Arne · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Emil vs Bjørn
Emil and Bjørn were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #56.
Emil · Bjørn · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Longest-running competitions
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Emil, Ralph
Field	Emil	Ralph
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	1
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
Most recent popularity observation	Norway · Boys #2 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	94/100
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); Ralph does not have one recorded yet.
Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ralph.
A meaning is recorded for Emil; Ralph doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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

Ralph

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #81 among boys in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys