NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Emilio

A masculine name of Italian origin meaning "emulator" or "rival".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Emilio is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Emilio popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #651, with 57 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 89 births.

This profile covers 1,250 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 64% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,268 living people in the UK are called Emilio. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Emilio ranked #651 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 57 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 89 boys were registered as Emilio.
  • Emilio ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #478 in 2024.
  • About 1,268 living people in the UK are estimated to have Emilio as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#651

2024

Births in 2024

57

Latest year

Peak year

2023

89 births

Estimated living

1,268

2026

Meaning

What does Emilio mean?

The name Emilio is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin name Aemilius. The name Aemilius itself is believed to have originated from the Latin word "aemulus," meaning "rival" or "competitor." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a sense of ambition or a competitive spirit in ancient Roman culture.

The earliest recorded use of the name Emilio can be traced back to ancient Rome. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus, a Roman politician and military leader who lived in the 3rd century BC. He was known for his role in the Second Punic War against Carthage and his cautious military strategy, which earned him the nickname "Cunctator" (the Delayer).

Another prominent figure in Roman history with the name Emilio was Lucius Aemilius Paullus, a Roman consul and military commander who defeated the Macedonian King Perseus at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC. His victory effectively ended the reign of the Antigonid dynasty and secured Roman control over Macedonia.

During the Renaissance period, the name Emilio gained popularity in Italy. One of the most famous figures from this era was Emilio de' Cavalieri, an Italian composer and music theorist who lived from 1550 to 1602. He is considered one of the pioneers of opera and is credited with composing one of the earliest operas, "Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo" (Representation of Soul and Body), in 1600.

In the 19th century, Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, a Spanish republican leader and writer, made a significant impact on Spanish politics. He was born in 1832 and served as the President of the First Spanish Republic from 1873 to 1874, advocating for democratic values and societal reforms.

More recently, Emilio Estevez, the American actor and filmmaker born in 1962, has carried on the legacy of the name. He is known for his roles in films such as "The Breakfast Club," "St. Elmo's Fire," and "The Mighty Ducks" franchise, as well as his work as a director and screenwriter.

Throughout history, the name Emilio has been associated with ambition, leadership, and artistic expression, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped its meaning and significance over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Emilio over time

The chart below shows babies named Emilio registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Emilio, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 57 births in 2024, compared with 89 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Emilio
022456789199620102024

Decades

Emilio by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Emilio was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #535 366 5
2010s #706 483 10
2000s #798 291 10
1990s #620 110 4

Geography

Where Emilio is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Emilio. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Emilio ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #478 in 2024.

Scotland
6

Across the UK

Emilio in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#478 in 2024

6 years of NRS records, 27 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Emilio

  • Emilio Gay

    cricketer

    cricketer (born 2000)

    2000-

  • Emilio Jaconelli

    association football player

    Scottish footballer (born 1983)

    1983-

  • Emilio Weldon

    (born 1982)

    1982-

  • Emilio E. Falco-Acosta

    astronomer

    astronomer

    1954-

  • Emilio Pacione

    association football player

    Scottish footballer (1920-2012)

    1920-2012

  • Emilio Coia

    caricaturist

    Scottish artist (1911–1997)

    1911-1997

Related

Names similar to Emilio

FAQ

Emilio: questions and answers

How popular is the name Emilio in the UK right now?

In 2024, Emilio was ranked #651 for boys in England and Wales, with 57 births registered.

When was Emilio most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 89 babies registered as Emilio in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Emilio?

A masculine name of Italian origin meaning "emulator" or "rival".

How many people are called Emilio in the UK?

A total of 1,250 babies have been registered as Emilio across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 27 more in Scotland.

Where is Emilio most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Emilio ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #478 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.