Emile Boy

Popularity: #868 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: eh-MEEL /eˈmil/

Origin: French; Latin

Meaning: French: rival; Latin: to strive

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Emile is derived from the Latin name Aemilius, which is believed to originate from the Latin word "aemulus," meaning "rival" or "to strive." The name Aemilius was borne by a prominent Roman family, the gens Aemilia, which played a significant role in Roman history. As Latin evolved into the Romance languages, Aemilius transformed into various forms, including the Old French "Émile," which was adopted into English in the 19th century, primarily through literary influences.

Historically, the name Emile has been associated with notable figures, including the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who published his influential work "Émile, or On Education" in 1762. This text explored themes of education and personal development, contributing to the name's philosophical resonance.

Additionally, the name has been linked to various saints and historical figures throughout the Middle Ages, further embedding it in cultural and religious contexts. Culturally, Emile carries connotations of ambition and rivalry, reflective of its etymological roots.

The name has been embraced in various literary and artistic works, often symbolizing the pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. The diminutive form "Em" has also been used in some contexts, although it is less common than the full name.

Overall, Emile's historical and cultural significance is marked by its connections to education, philosophy, and the enduring legacy of the Aemilius family in ancient Rome.

Famous people named Emile

In this section, you will find notable people named Emile. 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 Emile who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Emile 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.

Emile Zola is a novelist best known for Germinal, Nana, and The Rougon-Macquart series.

Emile Hirsch is an actor best known for Into the Wild, Milk, and Speed Racer.

Emile Galle is a glass artist best known for his Art Nouveau glassworks and furniture designs.

Emile Durkheim is a sociologist best known for The Division of Labor in Society, Suicide, and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life.

Fictional characters named Emile

The following list of fictional characters named Emile is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Emile is a fictional character from the film Ratatouille. He is a friendly and supportive rat who encourages his friend Remy to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.

Emile is a fictional character from the video game series Final Fantasy. He is a skilled warrior who plays a significant role in the story of Final Fantasy IX.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Emile, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JulienLucAntoineGabrielVictorMathieu

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Emile. 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.

AmielAurelienOlivierSamuelDanielNicolasRaphaelBenoit

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Emile has ranked as high as #1000 nationally, which occurred in 1921, and has been most popular in Louisiana, Massachusetts, California, New York, and Maine.

In the past 5 years the name Emile has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Emile 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 Emile 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 Emile.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 70 70 0
2024 83 83 0
2023 66 66 0
2022 72 72 0
2021 83 83 0
2020 71 71 0
2019 65 65 0
2018 66 60 6
2017 66 66 0
2016 60 60 0
2015 64 55 9
2014 62 52 10
2013 46 46 0
2012 47 40 7
2011 35 35 0
2010 32 32 0
2009 55 49 6
2008 59 49 10
2007 56 41 15
2006 46 34 12
2005 53 44 9
2004 53 39 14
2003 42 34 8
2002 57 42 15
2001 45 33 12
2000 40 31 9
1999 38 25 13
1998 47 36 11
1997 40 26 14
1996 40 27 13
1995 56 43 13
1994 55 38 17
1993 46 29 17
1992 46 32 14
1991 55 39 16
1990 35 25 10
1989 36 23 13
1988 57 40 17
1987 47 33 14
1986 33 23 10
1985 43 33 10
1984 44 28 16
1983 37 31 6
1982 48 38 10
1981 53 44 9
1980 51 35 16
1979 36 36 0
1978 49 38 11
1977 36 30 6
1976 39 39 0
1975 42 36 6
1974 45 39 6
1973 36 36 0
1972 42 37 5
1971 44 44 0
1970 57 57 0
1969 40 40 0
1968 47 47 0
1967 42 42 0
1966 43 43 0
1965 48 48 0
1964 55 55 0
1963 63 57 6
1962 63 63 0
1961 75 69 6
1960 56 56 0
1959 75 70 5
1958 80 74 6
1957 51 51 0
1956 78 78 0
1955 62 57 5
1954 72 63 9
1953 69 69 0
1952 74 74 0
1951 66 66 0
1950 69 69 0
1949 85 80 5
1948 82 82 0
1947 108 108 0
1946 81 73 8
1945 76 76 0
1944 82 82 0
1943 86 86 0
1942 87 87 0
1941 84 84 0
1940 80 72 8
1939 98 92 6
1938 102 93 9
1937 94 85 9
1936 91 91 0
1935 85 85 0
1934 76 76 0
1933 97 97 0
1932 117 112 5
1931 119 119 0
1930 121 121 0
1929 112 112 0
1928 127 121 6
1927 145 137 8
1926 140 131 9
1925 148 140 8
1924 152 147 5
1923 167 158 9
1922 167 167 0
1921 171 165 6
1920 153 142 11
1919 156 150 6
1918 160 153 7
1917 148 138 10
1916 145 136 9
1915 133 127 6
1914 126 121 5
1913 101 95 6
1912 76 76 0
1911 54 54 0
1910 43 43 0
1909 41 36 5
1908 33 33 0
1907 23 23 0
1906 21 21 0
1905 36 31 5
1904 28 28 0
1903 23 23 0
1902 18 18 0
1901 20 20 0
1900 31 31 0
1899 23 23 0
1898 31 31 0
1897 24 24 0
1896 34 34 0
1895 21 21 0
1894 26 26 0
1893 25 25 0
1892 28 28 0
1891 19 14 5
1890 21 21 0
1889 27 27 0
1888 21 21 0
1887 21 21 0
1886 25 25 0
1885 19 19 0
1884 28 28 0
1883 23 23 0
1882 37 37 0
1881 20 20 0
1880 12 12 0

Top States for Emile (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 17
39%
NY 12
27%
TX 9
20%
CO 6
14%