Given name
Emelia
“rival”
Emelia is a variant of Emily. The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Emelia is a variant of Emily. The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Emelia is a variant of Emily. Emily is an English development of the Latin feminine name Aemilia.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Emelia is a variant of Emily. The shared background comes through Emily: Aemilia is the feminine form of Aemilius. Emily developed through a medieval version of that name; the proposed root is aemulus, “rival.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Emelia is a variant of Emily. The history of Emily gives this family its wider story. Emily was relatively uncommon in the Middle Ages and was revived in the nineteenth century. At that time, Emilia and the separately rooted Amelia were often confused, helping explain their overlapping naming histories.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Emelia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 14,028
- 0 boys · 14,028 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 701 babies
- 2025
- 488
- #601 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 488 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 601 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 701 in 2019. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (48). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,301 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Emelia’s family of names
In English usage, Emelia has a diminutive in Em. Emelia has a related form in Emily. In English usage, Emelia has a conventional equivalent in the German form Amelia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
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 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 6
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Emelia
- Ninón SevillaCuban-Mexican rumbera and actress (1929–2015)
- Emelia BrobbeyGhanaian actress, TV hostess, and film producerborn 1982
- Emelia ArthurGhanaian politicianborn 1966
- Emelia BurnsAustralian actressborn 1982
- Emelia GoreckaBritish long-distance runnerborn 1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Emelia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Alessia is used as a given name. Alessia is connected with Alexia.
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