| Emilia | Savannah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | rival; eager, striving | Treeless plain |
| Origin | spanish | Spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | eh-MEE-lee-ah | suh-VAN-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2021 (4,854) | 2000 (7,100) |
| In 2025 | 4,677 | 2,141 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Emilia | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 28,338 | 17,482 |
| 2010s | 24,348 | 51,869 |
| 2000s | 6,348 | 64,757 |
| 1990s | 2,209 | 44,716 |
| 1980s | 1,360 | 8,714 |
| 1970s | 726 | 232 |
| 1960s | 718 | 170 |
| 1950s | 686 | 326 |
| 1940s | 691 | 392 |
| 1930s | 798 | 429 |
| 1920s | 1,212 | 681 |
| 1910s | 895 | 637 |
| 1900s | 376 | 445 |
| 1890s | 238 | 379 |
| 1880s | 133 | 285 |
The feminine form of the Latin Aemilius, a Roman family name usually linked to aemulus 'rival, emulating, striving'. The same root lies behind Emiliano, Emily and Amelia (the latter is actually of separate Germanic origin, though the names are often confused).
Savannah takes its name from the open grassy plain, via the Spanish sabana.
Emilia is more popular than Savannah today: about 4,677 US babies were given the name Emilia in 2025, compared with 2,141 named Savannah.
Emilia means rival; eager, striving (spanish origin), while Savannah means Treeless plain (Spanish origin).
In US records, Emilia first appears in 1880 and Savannah in 1880, so Emilia has the longer recorded history.