Emil vs Rudi
Emil and Rudicompared 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 2007, Emil was ranked #3 and Rudi #492 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and Rudi #199 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and Rudi #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and Rudi #379 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and Rudi #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Emil and Rudi over time
Emil and Rudi appear together in 2 published lists, across 68 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Rudi changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #737 and #379.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and Rudi were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 39 years, from 1957 to 2007, ending at #3 and #492.
List by list
Norway · Boys39 shared years, 1957–2007
Emil held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Rudi in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emil #3 in 2007, Rudi #198 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Emil #3, Rudi #492.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rudi in 21.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, Rudi #334 in 2023.
The order changed in 2016: Rudi moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #506 and #526; by 2016 that had become #631 and #531.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, Rudi #379.
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 | Rudi |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Rudi does not have one recorded yet.
- Emil and Rudi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Emil; Rudi 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
Rudi
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #332 among boys in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2024
Highest recorded position: #193 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2005–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys