| Emilia | Valeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | rival; eager, striving | to be strong, healthy |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | eh-MEE-lee-ah | vah-LEH-ree-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1881 |
| Peak year | 2021 (4,854) | 2008 (4,206) |
| In 2025 | 4,677 | 1,835 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Emilia | Valeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 28,338 | 11,194 |
| 2010s | 24,348 | 21,392 |
| 2000s | 6,348 | 26,216 |
| 1990s | 2,209 | 7,795 |
| 1980s | 1,360 | 1,749 |
| 1970s | 726 | 1,344 |
| 1960s | 718 | 2,052 |
| 1950s | 686 | 1,922 |
| 1940s | 691 | 1,012 |
| 1930s | 798 | 1,182 |
| 1920s | 1,212 | 1,901 |
| 1910s | 895 | 1,592 |
| 1900s | 376 | 360 |
| 1890s | 238 | 243 |
| 1880s | 133 | 98 |
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).
The feminine of the Roman family name Valerius, from the Latin valere 'to be strong, to be healthy'. Shares its root with Valentina and the word 'valiant'.
Emilia is more popular than Valeria today: about 4,677 US babies were given the name Emilia in 2025, compared with 1,835 named Valeria.
Emilia means rival; eager, striving (spanish origin), while Valeria means to be strong, healthy (spanish origin).
In US records, Emilia first appears in 1880 and Valeria in 1881, so Emilia has the longer recorded history.