Emilia

History & Origin

Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Aemilius, derived from the Latin root meaning rival or, by some interpretations, eager and industrious. The gens Aemilia was one of ancient Rome's most distinguished patrician families. The name passed into Italian as Emilia and into English via Emilia Lanier, a 16th-century English poet sometimes proposed as Shakespeare's 'Dark Lady.'

Emily was long the dominant English form, but Emilia gained renewed interest in the early 21st century — partly through the popularity of actress Emilia Clarke. It crossed into the U.S. top 20 around 2018 and has remained there, offering parents the warmth of Emily with a more distinctive, international flair.