Emil (given name)


The name Emil, Emile, or Émile is a male given name of Indo-European origin.
This name has multiple meanings: laborious, rival, or eager, which are derived from the Latin Aemilius of the gens Aemilia. In the German language, the name is derived from the word emelen, which means "to strive," or "to excel."
Emil is used predominantly among the peoples of European nations. It is in the top 100 names given to boys in Germany. The female equivalents to the name are Emila, Emilia, and Emily.
In the Balkans, Emil is popular among Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs in the former Yugoslav nations. In this region, it is used as a male given name, while the female equivalent is Emila. In Serbia, Emil is among the top given names to boys. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the name is an alternative variant to the name Amil, which is also popular among Bosniaks. Emil is in the top 100 most popular given names in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Among Jews, the name Emil is either a kinui for the Hebrew name Emmanuel, or a Yiddish pronunciation of the Hebrew theophoric name Ammiel, which means "God of my people".
In Azerbaijan, Emil is a popular name too. As per official statistics shared by Ministry of Justice (Azerbaijan), Emil is 31st most used name in the country between 2020 and 2025.
Notable people and characters named Emil, Emile or Émile include:

Emil

Emile or Émile

Fictional characters