Emil is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Emil means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Emil across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Emil has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Emil is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “rival, eager”. From the Roman family name Aemilius.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 33,230 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,132 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 79 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 131 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Emil per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1917 (1,012/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2015 (76/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2012 (14/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2014 (7/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2014 (3/yr).
Emil has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1917, when it ranked #327 nationally (given to 1,012 babies that year).
Emily · Emilia · Emilio · Emely · Emilee · Emilie · Emelia · Emile
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