Given name & surname
Aquila
“resembling an eagle; a constellation”
Aquila is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “resembling an eagle; a constellation.”
Original GreekΑκυλας
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “resembling an eagle; a constellation.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
Possibly from the Greek noun agele (αγελη), “herd,” and the Hebrew verb qalal (קלל), “to be light or swift.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1955. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Aquila appears in Acts 18:19, Acts 18:26.
- Acts 18:19
- Acts 18:26
From biblical name research
Aquila through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 901
- 141 boys · 760 girls
- Most popular year
- 1977
- 35 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #7,713 for boys · #13,354 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −8%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,713 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. It also appeared in 6 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 904 as a first name in 2020; 757 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Aquila’s family of names
Aquila has a later derivative in Akilina. In English usage, Aquila has a related form in Akila. In English usage, Aquila has a related form in Aquilino.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 19
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Aquila
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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