Emilian
A Latin name derived from the Roman family name Aemilius.
Name Census estimates that about 179 living Americans carry the first name Emilian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Emilian today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emilian births was 2023 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emilian. 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
179
~ 1 in 1,914,829 Americans
Peak year
2023
17 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,968
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Emilian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emilian from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 96 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Emilian remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emilian 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 Emilian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Emilian
The name Emilian has its roots in the Latin language and culture, dating back to ancient Roman times. It is derived from the Latin word "aemulus," which means "rival" or "emulator." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were viewed as competitors or those who sought to emulate the qualities of others.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emilian can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus, who mentioned an individual named Emilianus in his work "Annals." This suggests that the name was in use during the 1st century AD in ancient Rome.
In the 3rd century AD, there was a Roman emperor named Emilianus who ruled briefly in 253 AD. He was born in Mauritania and rose through the ranks of the Roman military before seizing power. His reign was short-lived, as he was assassinated after just three months, but his existence shows that the name was prominent during that time period.
The name Emilian also has connections to early Christianity. One notable figure was Saint Emilian, a 6th century Spanish monk and founder of the Monastery of Samos in Galicia. He was known for his ascetic lifestyle and devotion to the Christian faith.
Another influential figure bearing the name Emilian was Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican revolutionary leader who played a significant role in the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. He was born in 1879 and was a prominent advocate for agrarian reform and the rights of peasants and indigenous people in Mexico.
In the world of literature, Emilian Bukarevinac was a Serbian writer and journalist born in 1834. He is renowned for his contributions to Serbian literature and his efforts in promoting the Serbian language and culture.
Other notable individuals with the name Emilian include Emilian Kamiński, a Polish architect and urban planner born in 1923, who was influential in the reconstruction and development of cities in Poland after World War II.
Emilian Prunk, born in 1948, is a Slovenian composer and conductor who has made significant contributions to the classical music scene in his country and internationally.
While the name Emilian may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich history and cultural significance across various societies and time periods highlight its enduring legacy.
People
Emilian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emilian 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
Emilian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emilian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 179 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emilian 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 1,914,829 US residents.
Is Emilian a common name?
We classify Emilian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 180 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emilian most popular?
The single biggest year for Emilian was 2023, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emilian is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Emilian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emilian 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.