Emils vs Willow
Emils and Willowcompared 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, Emils was ranked #5119 and Willow #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Emils and Willow over time
Emils and Willow appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Emils held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Willow 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.
Emils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Willow 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 2012–2024
Emils held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Willow in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emils #2335 in 2016, Willow #2325 in 2023.
The order changed in 2023: Willow moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #3451 and #3990; by 2023 that had become #4991 and #2325.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emils #5119, Willow #4270.
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 | Emils | Willow |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English, a modern nature name from the willow tree |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪl.oʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Willow has a recorded origin (English, a modern nature name from the willow tree); Emils does not have one recorded yet.
- Emils and Willow both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Willow; Emils doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Emils
Popularity journey
First recorded2007
First recorded at #527 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 2007 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2007–2016
Highest recorded position: #527 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 2007–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Willow
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls