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