Emile
Emile is a name with multiple cultural origins: English, French.
- English
- French
Meaning & Origin of Emile
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Emile is a name with multiple cultural origins: English, French.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
The Story of Emile
As a girl name
Emile first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1891, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1988: 17 births, good for #4,840 nationwide. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 21% of all recorded Emiles. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2018 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 648 Emiles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Emile first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 12 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1922: 167 births, good for #478 nationwide. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,987 among boy names with 78 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 9K Emiles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Emile
Phonetically similar names — useful when Emile is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Emile
What does the name Emile mean?
What is the origin of the name Emile?
How popular is Emile in 2026?
When was Emile most popular?
In which U.S. states is Emile most popular?
Is Emile a unisex name?
What names go well with Emile?
About the name Emile
Emile is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Emile's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #283. Use the chart and map above to compare Emile's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.