Emelia Girl

Popularity: #509 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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.

AmeliaEllaMiaSophiaIsabellaOlivia

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.

EmiliaAmeliaElenaEvelynAureliaSelenaCeciliaLiviaMila

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Emelia was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Emelia has ranked as high as #881 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 down 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.

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 Total Births Girl
2025 488 488
2024 528 528
2023 570 570
2022 598 598
2021 663 663
2020 683 683
2019 701 701
2018 654 654
2017 575 575
2016 532 532
2015 509 509
2014 463 463
2013 438 438
2012 411 411
2011 366 366
2010 339 339
2009 316 316
2008 282 282
2007 222 222
2006 247 247
2005 210 210
2004 220 220
2003 189 189
2002 162 162
2001 115 115
2000 114 114
1999 88 88
1998 90 90
1997 79 79
1996 78 78
1995 69 69
1994 61 61
1993 62 62
1992 57 57
1991 62 62
1990 53 53
1989 42 42
1988 39 39
1987 37 37
1986 40 40
1985 26 26
1984 29 29
1983 27 27
1982 21 21
1981 25 25
1980 24 24
1979 16 16
1978 13 13
1977 15 15
1976 12 12
1975 12 12
1974 12 12
1973 13 13
1972 15 15
1971 11 11
1970 7 7
1969 9 9
1968 13 13
1967 13 13
1966 8 8
1965 13 13
1964 18 18
1963 16 16
1962 17 17
1961 14 14
1960 13 13
1959 13 13
1958 18 18
1957 25 25
1956 15 15
1955 19 19
1954 15 15
1953 19 19
1952 25 25
1951 17 17
1950 23 23
1949 19 19
1948 25 25
1947 15 15
1946 20 20
1945 19 19
1944 20 20
1943 19 19
1942 20 20
1941 19 19
1940 18 18
1939 14 14
1938 27 27
1937 19 19
1936 18 18
1935 23 23
1934 18 18
1933 28 28
1932 20 20
1931 16 16
1930 41 41
1929 39 39
1928 27 27
1927 40 40
1926 34 34
1925 48 48
1924 54 54
1923 44 44
1922 54 54
1921 58 58
1920 47 47
1919 44 44
1918 57 57
1917 54 54
1916 48 48
1915 52 52
1914 41 41
1913 36 36
1912 26 26
1911 21 21
1910 30 30
1909 22 22
1908 28 28
1907 16 16
1906 31 31
1905 17 17
1904 16 16
1903 22 22
1902 25 25
1901 27 27
1900 25 25
1899 28 28
1898 26 26
1897 22 22
1896 24 24
1895 27 27
1894 26 26
1893 33 33
1892 22 22
1891 31 31
1890 34 34
1889 13 13
1888 33 33
1887 27 27
1886 19 19
1885 29 29
1884 12 12
1883 29 29
1882 17 17
1881 10 10
1880 12 12

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 68
14%
TX 47
10%
OH 32
7%
NY 30
6%
IL 25
5%
FL 24
5%
MI 22
5%
NJ 16
3%
AZ 15
3%
IN 15
3%
VA 14
3%
WI 14
3%
WA 13
3%
PA 13
3%
MO 13
3%
NC 13
3%
TN 13
3%
OR 10
2%
KY 9
2%
GA 9
2%
LA 7
1%
MN 7
1%
IA 7
1%
CO 6
1%
UT 6
1%
CT 6
1%
OK 6
1%
WV 6
1%
AL 6
1%
ME 5
1%
SC 5
1%
SD 5
1%