Emil vs William
Emil and Williamcompared 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 William #3 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #737 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Emil was ranked #398 and William #47 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Emil was ranked #619 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emil was ranked #468 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Emil and William over time
Emil and William appear together in 3 published lists, across 129 years of shared records. William 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 2 of those lists, William in 1. 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 William changed places 18 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #2 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, Emil and William averaged 37.9 places apart, ending at #2 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Emil and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #2 and #3.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Emil #310 in 2012, William #43 in 2013.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 57 of those years, William in 24.
Highest recorded here: Emil #1 in 2008, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #2, William #3.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Emil #506 in 2015, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emil #737, William #27.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Emil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 19.
Highest recorded here: Emil #310 in 2012, William #43 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emil #468, William #73.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeː.mɪl/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emil is recorded with a Latin, widely used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and other European traditions origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Emil and William both have 2 syllables.
- Emil's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- 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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys