Emile: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,098

among boys · ↓191 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Emile · -16% vs 2024

How common

1 in 24,401

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1921

171 babies

All-time total

9,289

#1,313 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Emile popularity over time

9,289 babies have been named Emile since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	233	233	23	–	#283
1890s	5	247	252	25	+8%	#326
1900s	10	264	274	27	+9%	#373
1910s	49	1,093	1,142	114	+317%	#386
1920s	62	1,420	1,482	148	+30%	#476
1930s	29	971	1,000	100	-33%	#533
1940s	21	830	851	85	-15%	#664
1950s	25	671	696	70	-18%	#816
1960s	12	520	532	53	-24%	#919
1970s	34	392	426	43	-20%	#1,084
1980s	121	328	449	45	+5%	#1,438
1990s	138	320	458	46	+2%	#1,960
2000s	110	396	506	51	+10%	#2,409
2010s	32	511	543	54	+7%	#2,098
2020s (to 2025)	–	445	445	74	+37%	#1,857

Where Emile is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	72	0.04	outside top 500
2027	73	0.04	outside top 500
2028	75	0.04	outside top 500
2029	76	0.04	outside top 500
2030	77	0.05	outside top 500

Where Emile is most popular

Boys named Emile per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.043 per 1,000. Strongest in Louisiana, New York, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Emile born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Louisiana	12	0.117	+171%
New York	42	0.097	+124%
California	79	0.086	+100%
Colorado	6	0.046	+7%
Massachusetts	6	0.044	≈ national
Texas	31	0.035	-19%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Emile

Emile is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,098 in 2025 with 70 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 9,289 American babies have been named Emile, about 93% boys and 7% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1921, when 171 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Emile stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Emile?

The median living Emile is about 41 years old; half are between 17 and 66. An estimated 4,300 people named Emile are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Emile year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	–	–	70	#2,098
2024	–	–	83	#1,907
2023	–	–	66	#2,178
2022	–	–	72	#2,086
2021	–	–	83	#1,857
2020	–	–	71	#2,008
2019	–	–	65	#2,175
2018	6	#14,338	60	#2,273
2017	–	–	66	#2,098
2016	–	–	60	#2,241
2015	9	#11,185	55	#2,368
2014	10	#10,383	52	#2,438
2013	–	–	46	#2,601
2012	7	#13,932	40	#2,918
2011	–	–	35	#3,190
2010	–	–	32	#3,394
2009	6	#15,844	49	#2,571
2008	10	#11,048	49	#2,555
2007	15	#8,217	41	#2,880
2006	12	#9,479	34	#3,177
2005	9	#11,177	44	#2,539
2004	14	#7,959	39	#2,713
2003	8	#11,639	34	#2,870
2002	15	#7,169	42	#2,409
2001	12	#8,354	33	#2,826
2000	9	#10,148	31	#2,879
1995	13	#6,766	43	#1,962
1990	10	#8,060	25	#2,645
1985	10	#6,595	33	#1,809
1980	16	#4,578	35	#1,665
1975	6	#8,293	36	#1,483
1970	–	–	57	#1,084
1965	–	–	48	#1,072
1960	–	–	56	#1,024
1955	5	#6,114	57	#995
1950	–	–	69	#820
1945	–	–	76	#701
1940	8	#3,299	72	#720
1935	–	–	85	#642
1930	–	–	121	#547
1925	8	#3,785	140	#517
1920	11	#2,971	142	#511
1915	6	#3,923	127	#492
1910	–	–	43	#408
1905	5	#2,029	31	#373
1900	–	–	31	#406
1895	–	–	21	#431
1890	–	–	21	#394
1885	–	–	19	#416
1880	–	–	12	#542

Famous people named Emile

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Emile Hirsch American actor (born 1985) Contemporary
2 Emile Heskey English footballer (born 1978) Contemporary
3 Emile Smith Rowe English footballer (born 2000) Contemporary
4 Emile Griffith American boxer (1938–2013) Contemporary
5 Emile Ardolino American director and producer (1943–1993) Contemporary
6 Emile Berliner German-born American inventor (1851–1929) 19th century
7 Emile Habibi Palestinian-Israeli writer of Arabic literature and politician (1922–1996) Contemporary
8 Emile Vandervelde Belgian politician (1866–1938) 19th century
9 Emile Claus Belgian painter (1849–1924) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Emile, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Emile?

The median living Emile is about 41 years old. Half of all living Emiles are between 17 and 66 years old.

How many people named Emile are alive today?

An estimated 4,300 people named Emile are alive in the United States, based on 9,289 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Emile mean?

A male given name from Latin of Latin origin, an anglicized spelling of French Émile.

How popular is the name Emile in 2025?

Emile ranked #2,098 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 70 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Emile?

9,289 babies have been named Emile in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Emile most popular?

Emile peaked in 1921, when 171 newborns received the name.

Is Emile a boy or girl name?

Emile is used for both: about 7% of babies named Emile have been girls and 93% boys.

Is the name Emile rising or falling?

Emile is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Emile become more popular?

Emile is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 77 boys named Emile in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Emile?

Well-known people named Emile include Emile Hirsch (actor), Emile Heskey (soccer player), Emile Smith Rowe (soccer player).

Names like Emile

Names that sound and feel close to Emile: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Emile with similar names → More names starting with E →