Emelio
A Spanish variant of the Latin name Aemilius, meaning "striving, rivaling".
Name Census estimates that about 288 living Americans carry the first name Emelio. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Emelio today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emelio births was 1921 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emelio. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
288
~ 1 in 1,190,119 Americans
Peak year
1921
14 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,215
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Emelio: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emelio from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 92 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Emelio remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emelio by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Emelio during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Emelios live
Origin
Meaning and history of Emelio
The name Emelio originates from the Latin name Aemilius, which was a prominent Roman family name. It is believed to be derived from the word "aemulus," meaning "rival" or "competitor." The name gained popularity during the Roman Empire, with several notable historical figures bearing this name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emelio can be found in the works of ancient Roman writers, such as Cicero and Livy, who mentioned individuals from the Aemilian family. The Aemilian family played a significant role in Roman politics and military affairs, producing several consuls and generals.
In the 3rd century BC, Lucius Aemilius Paullus was a prominent Roman general who achieved victory over the Macedonian King Perseus at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC. His actions earned him the agnomen "Macedonicus," meaning "the Macedonian."
Another notable figure was Aemilius Scaurus, a Roman statesman, and orator who lived in the 1st century BC. He was known for his oratorical skills and served as a consul in 115 BC.
During the Middle Ages, the name Emelio became more prevalent in Italy and other parts of Europe. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in this period was Emelio da Treviso, an Italian architect and engineer who lived in the 13th century and was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in Venice.
In the Renaissance era, the name Emelio was associated with the arts and literature. Emelio de' Cavalieri was an Italian composer and musician who lived from 1550 to 1602 and is considered one of the founders of the opera genre.
Another notable figure was Emelio Sografi, an Italian poet and playwright who lived from 1605 to 1682 and was known for his satirical works and comedies.
In more recent history, Emelio Navarro was a Spanish painter who lived from 1844 to 1908 and was known for his landscape and genre paintings.
Emelio Greco, an Italian-American actor and singer who lived from 1908 to 1995, had a successful career in Hollywood and appeared in numerous films and television shows.
It is worth noting that while the name Emelio has been used throughout history, it has never been an extremely common or popular name. However, its rich historical roots and associations with notable figures from various fields have contributed to its enduring appeal and usage over the centuries.
People
Emelio + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emelio as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Emelio: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emelio?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 288 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emelio going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,190,119 US residents.
Is Emelio a common name?
We classify Emelio as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 476 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emelio most popular?
The single biggest year for Emelio was 1921, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emelio is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Emelio a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emelio in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.