Emilia
eh-MIL-ee-uh /ɪˈmɪl.i.ə/
Meaning of Emilia
Emilia is the Latin feminine of Aemilius, from aemulus — 'rival' or 'eager to equal.' It is the full formal form of Emily/Émilie and also appears independently as a name in its own right. In German and Polish it ranks higher than Emily; in Italian it is associated with the historic region of Emilia-Romagna. Shakespeare used it in both Othello (Iago's wife) and The Winter's Tale.
Current popularity of Emilia
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (GfdS) | 2024 | #3 |
| Poland (MSWiA) | 2024 | #4 |
| Italy (ISTAT) | 2024 | #13 |
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #39 |
Notable bearers of Emilia
Emilia Clarke (actor, Game of Thrones); Emilia Galotti (Lessing play, 1772); Emilia (Shakespeare's Othello).
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Emilia — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31