Emil vs Rolf
Emil and Rolfcompared 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 Rolf #437 among boys in Norway.
Emil and Rolf over time
Emil and Rolf appear together in 1 published list, across 81 years of shared records. Rolf held the stronger position in more years in 1 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.
Rolf reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Emil 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1986, Emil moved ahead of Rolf in Norway · Boys — #150 and #118 the year before became #132 and #135.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Rolf were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #437.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Rolf in 41.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, Rolf #14 in 1950.
The order changed in 1986: Emil moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #150 and #118; by 1986 that had become #132 and #135.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, Rolf #437.
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 | Rolf |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #437 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| 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); Rolf does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Rolf.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Rolf doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Rolf
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #15 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: #14 among boys in Norway, in 1950 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys