Amelia (given name)

Last updated
Amelia
Amelia Earhart standing under nose of her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, small.jpg
Amelia Earhart, legendary American aviator
Pronunciation /əˈmliə/ ə-MEE-lee-ə
GenderFemale
Language(s)English, German, Latin
Origin
Meaning German word amal meaning work and Latin aemulus, meaning rival
Other names
Nickname(s) Amy, Melly, Lili , Malia, Mila, Mel, Lia, Mia, Millie, Mimi, Emma, Minnie, Ellie
See also Amalia, Amelie, Amélie, Amy, Lia, Emma

Amelia is a feminine given name. Its English form was likely influenced by the names Amalia, derived from the Germanic root amal, with meanings "vigorous, active, work", and Emilia, derived from the name of the Roman Aemilia gens. The name of the gens is likely derived from the Latin word aemulus, meaning rival . The name Amelia has been associated with both names, as well as with the name Emily, also derived from Emilia. [1]

Contents

Popularity

The name has been popular in the Anglosphere and throughout Europe in the 21st century, as well as in other countries. [2] Its increase in popularity has been attributed to an elegant image and associations with American aviator Amelia Earhart, as well as a similarity in sound to previously popular names such as Amanda, Amy, and Emily, and to having the fashionable ia ending of other popular names Sophia and Olivia. All make the name seem "different but not too different." [3]

In 2022, in the United States, the name Amelia was given to 12,333 girls, making it the fourth most popular name. [4]

Notable people

Fictional characters

See also

Related Research Articles

Amelia may refer to:

Julia is a usually feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. The given name Julia had been in use throughout Late Antiquity but became rare during the Middle Ages, and was revived only with the Italian Renaissance. It became common in the English-speaking world only in the 18th century. Today, it is frequently used throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe</span> Name list

Chloe, also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰelh₃-, which relates to the colors yellow and green. The common scientific prefix chloro- derives from the same Greek root. In Greek the word refers to the young, green foliage or shoots of plants in spring.

Maria is a feminine given name. It is given in many languages influenced by Christianity.

Amy is an English feminine given name, the English version of the French Aimée, which means beloved. It was used as a diminutive of the Latin name Amata, a name derived from the passive participle of amare, “to love”. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the Middle Ages. It was among the 50 most popular names for girls in England between 1538 and 1700. It was popularized in the 19th century in the Anglosphere by a character in Sir Walter Scott's 1821 novel Kenilworth, which was based on the story of Amy Robsart. Enslaved Black women in the United States prior to the American Civil War were more likely to bear the name than white American women because slave masters often chose their names from literary sources. The name declined in use after 1880 but was revived due to the hit song Once in Love with Amy from the 1948 Broadway musical Where's Charley?. The name peaked in usage in the United States between 1973 and 1976, when it was among the five most popular names for American girls. It remained among the top 250 names for American girls in the early 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy</span> Name list

Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning as of light. Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lucie, Lucia, and Luzia.

Blair is a Scots-English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin.

Teresa is a feminine given name.

Sheila is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name Síle, which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, meaning 'heavenly'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eva (name)</span> Name list

Eva is a female given name, the Latinate counterpart of English Eve, which is derived from the Hebrew חַוָּה (Chava/Hava), meaning "life" or "living one", the name of the first woman according to the Hebrew Bible. It can also mean full of life or mother of life. It is the standard biblical form of Eve in many European languages. Evita is a diminutive form, in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne (given name)</span> Name list

Marianne is a female name. It is the French version of the Greek Mariamne, which is a variant of Mary, ultimately from the Hebrew Miriam, Mirjam. In late Greek Marianna (Μαριάννα) was used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet (name)</span> Name list

Harriet is a female name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah (given name)</span> Name list

Sarah is a common feminine given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical matriarch Sarah, the wife of Abraham and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions. It is a consistently popular given name across Europe, North America, and the Middle East — being commonly used as a female first name by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, and remaining popular also among non-religious members of cultures influenced by these religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice (name)</span> Name list

Alice is a feminine first name with roots in the French and German languages.

Edna is a female given name originating from several languages. In Hebrew, it means "pleasure". Various women named Edna are referenced in the Old Testament apocryphal books Jubilees and Tobit. The name Edna may also be an Anglicized form of the Irish and Scottish name Eithne, meaning "kernel" in Gaelic. This was a very popular girl's name in the United States in the early 20th century, but has since become unfashionable. It is also a very rare surname. Edna, as derived from Hebrew, is closely related etymologically to the name Eden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily (given name)</span> Name list

Emily is a feminine given name derived from the Roman family name "Aemilius", and is the feminine form of the name Emil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India (given name)</span> Name list

India is a feminine given name derived from the name of the country India, which itself takes its name from the Indus River. The name was used for India Wilkes, a character in the novel and film Gone with the Wind. Its use for girls in England began during the British rule in India during the 19th century. It has been used for daughters of aristocratic families in England that had ties to Colonial India, such as India Hicks. It has had an exotic image in the Anglosphere and also is similar in sound to other fashionable names such as Olivia and Sophia. In more recent years, some critics have viewed use of the name for non-Indian girls as problematic because they say it evokes the British Raj and colonialism. Although India is a feminine given name in the world, it is not a popular given name in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ursula (name)</span> Name list

Ursula is a feminine given name in several languages. The name is derived from a diminutive of the Latin ursa, which means "bear". The name was best used in the Anglosphere in the 16th century but has since been rather uncommon in English-speaking countries, although its use has been influenced since the twentieth century by the Swiss-born actress Ursula Andress. It was among the most popular names for newborn girls in Germany from the 1920s to the 1950s. Ulla, Ursel, and Uschi are German short forms of the name.

Amélie is a French feminine given name, ultimately derived from the Germanic name Amalia.

Marie is a variation of the feminine given name Maria.

References

  1. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 13,90. ISBN   0-19-861060-2.
  2. Campbell, Mike. "Popularity in England and Wales". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  3. Evans, Cleveland Kent (18 June 2023). "Cleveland Evans: Amelia sounds elegant and evokes a strong image". omaha.com. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  4. "Popular Baby Girl Names in 2022". Baby Names. Retrieved 2024-04-11.