Émile

Boy · Latin

Émile

Say it: ay-MEEL

Try it with your surname

Meaning

From the Roman family name Aemilius, possibly from aemulus 'rival', though this is not certain.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Boosted by Rousseau's Émile (1762) and popular again in France since the 2000s.

Its wave through time

Timeless: in steady use for over a century

In the United States

8,915 babies given this name since 1880
At its height in 1882, about 1 in 3,100 boys
71 babies in 2020

Through the ages

Used by

French Québécois

The family of the name

English	Emil
Italian	Emilio

Famous bearers

Émile Zola
Émile Durkheim, sociologist

Names worth a look

NapoleonBoyItalian Napoleone, of uncertain origin; often linked with Napoli (Naples).Revolutions · peak 1880 · forgotten

AlexandreBoyFrench form of Alexander, from Greek alexein 'to defend' and anēr 'man'.Revolutions · peak 2003 · forgotten

FrançoisBoyFrom Latin Franciscus 'Frankish, French'.Renaissance · peak 1992

ÉtienneBoyFrom Greek stephanos 'crown, wreath'.Middle Ages · peak 1902

LancelotBoyUncertain; perhaps a French diminutive of the Germanic name Lanzo.Renaissance · forgotten

ProsperBoyLatin prosper 'fortunate, successful'.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

Well-known works of literature
National birth statistics of European countries source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today 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.