girl's name
Emilia
eh-MEEL-ee-uh
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 112,052
the United States
#45
2025 births
Emilia is a girl's name of Latin origin, from the Roman family name Aemilius. It is usually translated as "rival" or "eager," and Shakespeare gave the name to two characters, most notably Desdemona's attendant in Othello.
- Emilia is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 4,854 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 708 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Emilia over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 133 |
| 1890s | 238 |
| 1900s | 376 |
| 1910s | 895 |
| 1920s | 1,212 |
| 1930s | 798 |
| 1940s | 691 |
| 1950s | 686 |
| 1960s | 718 |
| 1970s | 726 |
| 1980s | 1,360 |
| 1990s | 2,209 |
| 2000s | 6,348 |
| 2010s | 24,360 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 28,371 |
What Emilia means
Emilia is generally read as rival, eager, or striving, from a root sometimes linked to the Latin aemulus, meaning rival. The derivation is not certain — the family name may simply be inherited, with its original sense lost.
Where Emilia comes from
Emilia comes from the Latin Aemilia, feminine of the Roman clan name Aemilius, one of the older patrician families of the Republic. Whether the name derives from aemulus, meaning rival or emulous, or merely resembles it, remains unresolved. Emilia is the Italian, Spanish, and Polish form, while English developed Emily from the same source, which is why the two exist side by side. Shakespeare used the name twice — for Desdemona's attendant in Othello, who exposes Iago's plot at the cost of her own life, and for a character in The Winter's Tale. Emilia is also the name of a region of northern Italy, from the Roman road Via Aemilia.
Emilia in use
Emilia and Emily are the same Roman name, one Italian in form and one English.
How popular is Emilia?
In 2025, Emilia was given to 4,682 babies in the United States, ranking #45 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Emilia is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Emilia is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Émilia | Émilia is Emilia written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #704. | 485 |
| Emília | Emília is a rare spelling of Emilia, written with a fada and recorded 6 times, mostly in Ireland. | 6 |
Names that peaked alongside Emilia
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Emilia also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Emilia over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Emilia
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Emilia in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Emilia
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Emilia — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Emilia
What does the name Emilia mean?
Emilia is usually translated as "rival" or "eager," from the Roman family name Aemilius.
Is Emilia the same as Amelia?
No. Emilia comes from the Latin Aemilius, while Amelia comes from a Germanic root, though English has blurred them for centuries.
Is Emilia in Shakespeare?
Yes. Emilia is Desdemona's attendant in Othello, who exposes Iago's plot.
How popular is the name Emilia?
In 2025, Emilia was given to 4,682 babies in the United States, ranking #45 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Emilia a girl's or a boy's name?
Emilia is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Emilia?
Emilia has 4 syllables.
When was Emilia most popular?
Emilia peaked in 2021, when 4,854 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Emilia?
Emilia is usually shortened to Emmy, Mia and Emi.
Is Emilia a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Emilia currently ranks #40 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.