Aemilius

Boy · Latin

Aemilius

Say it: eh-MIL-ee-us

Meaning

Roman family name of uncertain origin; ancient writers linked it to aemulus 'rival'.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Its modern forms Emil, Émile and Emilio spread widely in 18th- and 19th-century Europe, helped by Rousseau's Émile (1762).

Its wave through time

No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.

Through the ages

Used by

Latin Italian Spanish French German Polish Swedish

The family of the name

Italian	Emilio
Spanish	Emilio
French	Émile
German	Emil
Portuguese	Emílio
Polish	Emil

Famous bearers

Lucius Aemilius Paullus, Roman general

Names worth a look

OctavianusBoyAdoptive name derived from Octavius, ultimately from Octavus 'eighth'.Rome

SilviusBoyFrom silva 'forest, wood'.Rome

TitianusBoyDerived from Titus, a praenomen of unknown origin.Rome

FlorentinusBoyDerived from Florens 'flowering, flourishing'.Rome

LiviusBoyRoman family name of uncertain origin, possibly from lividus 'bluish'.Rome

SextusBoyLatin for 'sixth', originally given to a sixth child or son.Rome · forgotten

EmilyGirlFrom Latin Aemilia, the feminine of the Roman family name Aemilius, possibly from aemulus 'rival'. The meaning…Rome · peak 1999

EmiliaGirlFrom the Roman family name Aemilius, often linked to aemulus 'rival', though this is uncertain.Renaissance · peak 2020

Where this comes from

Roman literature and history (Livy, Cicero, Tacitus and others)
Well-known works of literature
National birth statistics of European countries source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.