Find out how popular the last name Emile is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Emile.

Emile, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Emile surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Emile in America

Emile is the 22689th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Emile surname appeared 1,130 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Emile.

We can also compare 2010 data for Emile to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Emile

The surname Emile has its roots in France, originating during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Latin name Aemilius, which itself is thought to have come from the old Roman family name Aemilia. This family name may have been related to the Latin word aemulus, meaning "rival" or "eager to excel."

In its earliest forms, the name was sometimes spelled Aimile or Emyle in medieval records. The first recorded instance of the surname Emile can be found in a charter from the region of Burgundy, dated 1248, which mentions a landowner named Jehan Emile.

The Emile name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the northern and eastern regions of France during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Émile de Bonnefoux, a 14th-century nobleman and knight from Champagne.

In the 15th century, the Emile surname is recorded in several tax rolls and municipal records from cities like Paris and Reims. A prominent figure from this era was Jacques Emile, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of Troyes, born around 1420.

As the surname spread throughout France, it was sometimes influenced by local dialects and spellings, resulting in variations like Esmile, Émile, and Esmille. In the 16th century, the philosopher and writer Michel de Montaigne mentions an acquaintance named Pierre Emile in one of his essays.

Other notable individuals with the Emile surname include Jean Emile (1558-1637), a renowned physician and botanist from Lyon, and Marie Emile (1675-1743), a French Catholic nun and writer who founded a convent in Avignon.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Emile name continued to be found across various regions of France, with some bearers achieving prominence in fields such as the military, law, and the church. For example, Antoine Emile (1718-1782) was a respected judge and legal scholar from Paris.

As the surname spread beyond France, it also took root in other parts of Europe and eventually in the Americas. While the name has remained relatively uncommon compared to some other French surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Emile

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Emile.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Emile was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Emile has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Emile was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Emile, please contact us.

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