Given name
Emilia
“rival”
In English use, Emilia has a related form in 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
In English use, Emilia has a related form in 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
In English use, Emilia has a related form in Emily. Emily is an English development of the Latin feminine name Aemilia.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Emilia developed from Aemilia. In English use, Emilia has a related form in 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.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
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. In English use, Emilia has a related form in 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
Emilia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 69,121
- 45 boys · 69,076 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 4,854 babies
- 2025
- 4,682
- #45 for girls · #12,581 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +16%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,677 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 45 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 5 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (704). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 47,586 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.
Emilia’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Emilia has a diminutive in Emma. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Emilia shares a linguistic root with the English form Emily. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Emilia has a related form in Emilie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Emilia has relatives in 12 languages.
18 related names in 12 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 7
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 17
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 14
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Emilia
- Emilia ClarkeBritish actress (born 1986)
- Emilia PlaterPolish noblewoman (1806-1831)
- Emilia FoxBritish actress and presenter (born 1974)
- Emilia Pardo BazánSpanish author, editor (1851–1922)
- Emilia JonesBritish actressborn 2002
- Emilia SchüleGerman actress of Russian-German descent (born 1992)
- Emilia LanierEnglish poet1569–1645
- Emilia EberleRomanian gymnastborn 1964
- Emilia BrodinSwedish association football playerborn 1990
Characters named Emilia: Emilia (Othello).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Emilia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Amelia
“one who is industrious and hardworking”
>99% girls
Elliana
“The Lord answers our prayers”
>99% girls
Eliza
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Cecilia
“blind”
>99% girls
Eliana
“The Lord answers our prayers”
>99% girls
Octavia
“the eighth-born child”
>99% girls
Ophelia
“help” · “one who offers help to others”
>99% girls
Aria
“a beautiful melody”
>99% girls