Emilia

Emilia meaning

Emilia is an international girl's name of Latin origin.

Feminine of Aemilius, a Roman clan name, from aemulor, 'to rival'

Also used to mean: industrious

Emilia is the Latin, Italian and Spanish form of Aemilia, the feminine of Aemilius, the name of a famous Roman clan. Lewis and Short's Latin dictionary traces Aemilius to aemulor, to rival or strive to equal someone, a verb that in its good sense means to emulate. Name lists usually give "rival", and sometimes "industrious", which really belongs to the similar-sounding Amelia. Emily is the English form of the same name. In Shakespeare's Othello, Emilia is Iago's wife, who exposes his plot at the end of the play. The Italian region Emilia-Romagna takes its name from the Roman road Via Aemilia.

Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879), s.v. Aemilius · entry Aemilius · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Lewis & Short, Aemilius (alatius.com) · Lewis & Short, aemulor (alatius.com)

Famous namesakes

• Emilia, Iago's wife in Shakespeare's Othello

Popularity abroad

• #45 United States, girls 2025 (down 2 from 43 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #51 England and Wales, girls 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Emilia · Emelia · Aemilia

Related names

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