Emelia Girl
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: eh-MEE-lee-uh /ɛˈmiːliə/
Origin: Latin; Greek
Meaning: Latin: rival; Greek: industrious
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Emelia has its roots in the Latin name Aemilia, which is derived from the Latin word "aemulus," meaning "rival" or "to strive." The name Aemilia was borne by a prominent Roman family, the Aemilii, which played a significant role in the history of ancient Rome. As Latin evolved into the Romance languages, Aemilia transformed into various forms, including Emilia in Italian and Émilie in French.
The name made its way into English through the influence of these languages, particularly during the Renaissance when classical names were revived in literature and culture. Historically, the name Emelia has been associated with notable figures, including Saint Emilia, the mother of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, who lived in the 4th century.
Her legacy contributed to the name's significance in Christian contexts. The name also appears in various literary works, notably in Shakespeare's "Othello" (1603), where the character Emilia plays a crucial role, further embedding the name in English literature.
The use of the name in such contexts has helped maintain its presence through the centuries. Culturally, Emelia and its variants have been linked to themes of strength and rivalry, reflecting the original meaning of striving or competing.
This connection to ambition and resilience has allowed the name to resonate across different cultures and eras. Additionally, diminutive forms such as Emmy or Millie have emerged, often used affectionately, though they are not the primary focus of the name's historical significance.
Overall, Emelia embodies a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution and cultural heritage.
Famous people named Emelia
In this section, you will find notable people named Emelia. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Emelia who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Emelia who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Emelia Hartford is a social media influencer and automotive personality best known for her YouTube channel and car builds.
Emelia Jones is an actress best known for her role in the film CODA and the series The Last Kingdom.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Emelia, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Emelia. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Emelia was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Emelia has ranked as high as #746 nationally, which occurred in 2019, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Ohio.
In the past 5 years the name Emelia has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Emelia is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Emelia was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Emelia (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 68 | |
| TX | 47 | |
| OH | 32 | |
| NY | 30 | |
| IL | 25 | |
| FL | 24 | |
| NJ | 16 | |
| AZ | 15 | |
| IN | 15 | |
| WI | 14 | |
| VA | 14 | |
| WA | 13 | |
| PA | 13 | |
| MO | 13 | |
| NC | 13 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Emelia.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 527 |
| 2023 | 569 |
| 2022 | 598 |
| 2021 | 662 |
| 2020 | 683 |
| 2019 | 701 |
| 2018 | 654 |
| 2017 | 575 |
| 2016 | 532 |
| 2015 | 509 |
| 2014 | 463 |
| 2013 | 438 |
| 2012 | 411 |
| 2011 | 366 |
| 2010 | 339 |
| 2009 | 316 |
| 2008 | 282 |
| 2007 | 222 |
| 2006 | 247 |
| 2005 | 210 |
| 2004 | 220 |
| 2003 | 189 |
| 2002 | 162 |
| 2001 | 115 |
| 2000 | 114 |
| 1999 | 88 |
| 1998 | 90 |
| 1997 | 79 |
| 1996 | 78 |
| 1995 | 69 |
| 1994 | 61 |
| 1993 | 62 |
| 1992 | 57 |
| 1991 | 62 |
| 1990 | 53 |
| 1989 | 42 |
| 1988 | 39 |
| 1987 | 37 |
| 1986 | 40 |
| 1985 | 26 |
| 1984 | 29 |
| 1983 | 27 |
| 1982 | 21 |
| 1981 | 25 |
| 1980 | 24 |
| 1979 | 16 |
| 1978 | 13 |
| 1977 | 15 |
| 1976 | 12 |
| 1975 | 12 |
| 1974 | 12 |
| 1973 | 13 |
| 1972 | 15 |
| 1971 | 11 |
| 1970 | 7 |
| 1969 | 9 |
| 1968 | 13 |
| 1967 | 13 |
| 1966 | 8 |
| 1965 | 13 |
| 1964 | 18 |
| 1963 | 16 |
| 1962 | 17 |
| 1961 | 14 |
| 1960 | 13 |
| 1959 | 13 |
| 1958 | 18 |
| 1957 | 25 |
| 1956 | 15 |
| 1955 | 19 |
| 1954 | 15 |
| 1953 | 19 |
| 1952 | 25 |
| 1951 | 17 |
| 1950 | 23 |
| 1949 | 19 |
| 1948 | 25 |
| 1947 | 15 |
| 1946 | 20 |
| 1945 | 19 |
| 1944 | 20 |
| 1943 | 19 |
| 1942 | 20 |
| 1941 | 19 |
| 1940 | 18 |
| 1939 | 14 |
| 1938 | 27 |
| 1937 | 19 |
| 1936 | 18 |
| 1935 | 23 |
| 1934 | 18 |
| 1933 | 28 |
| 1932 | 20 |
| 1931 | 16 |
| 1930 | 41 |
| 1929 | 39 |
| 1928 | 27 |
| 1927 | 40 |
| 1926 | 34 |
| 1925 | 48 |
| 1924 | 54 |
| 1923 | 44 |
| 1922 | 54 |
| 1921 | 58 |
| 1920 | 47 |
| 1919 | 44 |
| 1918 | 57 |
| 1917 | 54 |
| 1916 | 48 |
| 1915 | 52 |
| 1914 | 41 |
| 1913 | 36 |
| 1912 | 26 |
| 1911 | 21 |
| 1910 | 30 |
| 1909 | 22 |
| 1908 | 28 |
| 1907 | 16 |
| 1906 | 31 |
| 1905 | 17 |
| 1904 | 16 |
| 1903 | 22 |
| 1902 | 25 |
| 1901 | 27 |
| 1900 | 25 |
| 1899 | 28 |
| 1898 | 26 |
| 1897 | 22 |
| 1896 | 24 |
| 1895 | 27 |
| 1894 | 26 |
| 1893 | 33 |
| 1892 | 22 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1890 | 34 |
| 1889 | 13 |
| 1888 | 33 |
| 1887 | 27 |
| 1886 | 19 |
| 1885 | 29 |
| 1884 | 12 |
| 1883 | 29 |
| 1882 | 17 |
| 1881 | 10 |
| 1880 | 12 |