Emilia
eh-MEE-lee-ah · 4 syllables
♀ Female ◎ Latin / Germanic ◈ 4 syllables
"Rival, eager, industrious"

From Latin / Germanic

Emilia is Emily's Italian sister — the same Latin root, the same meaning of striving, but with an extra syllable that changes everything. Where Emily is crisp and Anglo-Saxon, Emilia is flowing and Mediterranean. Emilia Clarke, the Mother of Dragons in Game of Thrones, gave the name its modern cultural moment, and Shakespeare used it for one of his most perceptive characters in Othello.

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Emilia at a glance
MeaningRival, eager, industrious
OriginLatin / Germanic
GenderFemale
Syllables4
NumerologyLife Path 4
US Rank (today)#64
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Why parents love Emilia
  • It offers everything Emily does but with a more distinctive, European sound.
  • Emilia Clarke's Game of Thrones fame made it globally recognizable.
  • Shakespeare's Emilia in Othello is brilliantly outspoken and brave.
  • Four syllables — eh-MIL-ee-ah — have an irresistible musicality.
  • It means striving and industrious — ambition built into the name.
The vibe of Emilia
ItalianmusicalstrivingShakespeareandistinctiveflowingambitiouselegant
Origin & history of Emilia
Latin Aemilia (from aemulus, striving/eager) Italian Emilia English Emilia
1
Latin / Germanic roots
Emilia shares its origin with Emily — both descend from the Latin Aemilia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Aemilius, meaning striving or eager. However, Emilia preserves the Italian pronunciation and adds a syllable that gives it a distinctly different character. Shakespeare gave the name to Iago's wife in Othello (1603) — a character whose honesty and bravery ultimately expose the villain's plot. Emilia-Romagna is one of Italy's most culturally rich regions, home to Bologna, Parma, and Ferrari. Emilia Clarke's portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (2011-2019) gave the name massive modern visibility.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Ancient Rome as Aemilia; used in Italy for centuries; Shakespeare used it in Othello (1603); modern English usage surged from 2010s.
3
Today
Emilia remains a beloved choice, ranking #64 in the US. 64,407 babies have been named Emilia since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
How popular is Emilia?
2021 peak year
The name Emilia reached its peak in 2021, with 4,851 registrations (ranked #40). The name has actually been around since 1880 — over a century — though it took until recently to find its widest audience. Since the peak, the name has settled at inside the top hundred (#64) today, averaging about 4,134 new babies per year. Emilia has been trending upward in recent years. Across all years on record, approximately 64,407 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
4,851 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #40)
4,134 Avg. per year
(last decade)
41,340 Total registrations
last 10 years
64,407 All-time total
(since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #64) Very popular
↑ Trending upward in recent years
📊 Check all names registered in the United States →
Numerology of Emilia
4
Life path number
The Builder
Discipline, reliability and masterful building.

Emilia's Life Path 5 is the adventurer's number — fitting for a name whose most famous modern bearer conquered fictional continents with dragons. People named Emilia tend to be bold, adaptable, and unafraid of transformation. They strive, as their Latin root promises.

Bold and adventurous
Adapts and transforms
Unafraid of change
Strives for greatness
Commands attention naturally
E5
M4
I9
L3
I9
A1
Sum: 31 → Life path 4
Personality of Emilia
🏛️
Steady & reliable
When they make a promise, they keep it.
📐
Methodical
Thorough, careful, precise.
💪
Quietly powerful
Their strength is always there when it matters.
🌿
Grounded
No matter what swirls around them, they stay centred.
Names that sound like Emilia

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Names that combine with Emilia

Sibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Emilia.

Middle names for Emilia

The right middle name turns Emilia into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.

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Numerology life path calculator

Enter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.

First name
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Date of birth
7
Life path number

How we calculated this
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