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 gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at ancient Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices ...
. The name of the gens is likely derived from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''aemulus'', meaning ''
rival''. The name Amelia has been associated with both names, as well as with the name
Emily, also derived from
Emilia.
Popularity
The name has been popular in the
Anglosphere
The Anglosphere, also known as the Anglo-American world, is a Western-led sphere of influence among the Anglophone countries. The core group of this sphere of influence comprises five developed countries that maintain close social, cultura ...
and throughout Europe in the 21st century, as well as in other countries. Its increase in popularity has been attributed to an
elegant image and associations with American aviator
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
, 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."
In 2022, in the United States, the name Amelia was given to 12,333 girls, making it the fourth most popular name. It was also the fourth most popular name given to girls in Canada that year.
Notable people
*
Amalberga of Maubeuge (died 690), Saint Amelia, early medieval saint
*
Princess Amelia of Great Britain
Princess Amelia of Great Britain (Amelia Sophia Eleonore; 10 June 1711 (Old Style and New Style dates, New Style) – 31 October 1786) was the second daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, Queen Caroline. Born in ...
(1711–1786)
*
Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom (1783–1810)
*
Amelia Adamo (born 1947), Swedish magazine founder and editor
*
Amelia Adams, Australian journalist, news presenter, producer and reporter
*
Amelia Andersdotter (born 1987), Swedish politician
*
Amelia Barbieri (1918–2016), Italian nurse, midwife, and lay missionary
*
Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr (1831–1911), English novelist
*
Amelia Bauerle (1873–1916), British painter, illustrator, and etcher
*
Amelia Beauclerc (1790–1820), British Gothic novelist
*
Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894), American feminist, started the newspaper ''The Lily'', popularized
bloomers
*
Amelia Bullmore (born 1964), English actress
*
Amelia Cass (born 1999), British para-cyclist
*
Amelia R. Coats (1877–1967), American printmaker
*
Amelia Crowley (fl. 1995-), Irish actress
*
Amelia Dimoldenberg (born 1994), English journalist and comedian
*
Minnie Driver (born Amelia Fiona J. Driver, 1970), English actress
*
Amelia Dyer (1837–1896), English serial killer
*
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
(1897–1937), American aviator and feminist
* Amelia Robles Ávila, known as
Amelio Robles Ávila (1889–1984), colonel during the Mexican Revolution
*
Amelia Rose Earhart (born 1983), American pilot and news anchor
*
Amelia Edwards (1831–1892), English novelist, journalist, traveler and Egyptologist
*
Amelia Gentleman (born 1972), British journalist
*
Amelia Gething (born 1999), English actress and writer
*
Amelia S. Givin (1845–1915), American businesswoman, philanthropist
*
Amelia Elizabeth Roe Gordon (1852–1932), British-born Canadian social reformer
*
Amelia Gray Hamlin (born 2001), American actress, daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin
*
Amelia Henderson (born 1995), Malaysian-British actress, presenter, YouTuber and model
*
Amelia Hertzówna (1879–1942), Polish writer and cultural historian
*
Amelia Horne (1839–1921), British memoir writer
*
Amelia Mary Irvine (1866–1950), Irish author who wrote as A. M. Irvine
*
Amelia Meath (born 1988), American musician, songwriter, producer, and dancer
*
Amelia Keane, American politician
*
Amelia Kemp, English footballer
*
Amelia Kyambadde (born 1955), Ugandan politician, philanthropist and Women's activist
*
Amelia Lambrick (1864–1956), Australian public servant
*
Amelia Lewsham (c. 1748 – after 1797), Jamaican woman with albinism, enslaved and exhibited as the "White Negress" in London, subjected to examination
*
Amelia Lily (born 1994), English singer
*
Amelia Heinle Luckinbill (born 1973), American actress
*
Amelia Okoli (1941–2017), Nigerian high jumper
*
Amelia Opie (1769–1853), English author and abolitionist
*
Amelia Peláez (1897–1968), Cuban painter
*
Amelia Perrier (1841–1875), Irish novelist and travel writer
*
Amelia Piper (1796–1856), American former slave and abolitionist
*
Amelia Rajecki (born 2002), British tennis player
*
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (born 1984), American author
*
Amelia Boynton Robinson
Amelia Isadora Platts Boynton Robinson (August 18, 1905 – August 26, 2015) was an American activist and supercentenarian who was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama, and a key figure in the 1965 Selma to Montgom ...
(1911–2015), American activist and civil rights leader
*
Amelia Solar de Claro (1836–1915), Chilean poet, playwright and essayist
*
Amelia M. Starkweather (1840–1926), American educator and author
*
Amelia Peabody Tileston (1872-1920), American Red Cross worker
*
Amelia Warren Tyagi (born 1971), American businesswoman, management consultant, and author
*
Amelia Walsh (born 1992), Canadian cyclist
*
Amelia Vega (born 1984), Miss Universe 2003, from the Dominican Republic
*
Amelia Warner (born 1982), English actress
*
Amelia B. Coppuck Welby (1819–1852), American poet
*
Lady Amelia Windsor (born 1995), English model
*
Amelia Kempshall Wing (1837–1927), American author and philanthropist
Fictional characters
*Title character in Henry Fielding's novel
''Amelia'' (novel)
* Amelia Jones, one of the main characters in ''
Power Rangers Dino Fury'' and ''
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury''
*Title character in ''
Amelia's Notebooks,'' a series of books by Marissa Moss
*Naughty Amelia Jane, doll antiheroine of a children's book series by
Enid Blyton
*
Amelia (Underworld), the only female Vampire Elder in the ''Underworld'' film series
*
Amelia Bedelia, title character in books by Peggy Parish
*
Amelia Bones, in the ''Harry Potter'' series
*Amelia Bonetti, character portrayed by
Giulietta Masina in the 1986 film ''
Ginger and Fred'' by
Federico Fellini
*Amelia Brand, in the 2014 film
''Interstellar'', played by
Anne Hathaway
*Amelia Gabble, an English goose in the 1970 animated film ''
The Aristocats''
*Amelia Louise McBride, title character in the graphic novel series ''
Amelia Rules!'' by Jimmy Gownley
*Amelia "Milly" Michaelson, a character in 1986 American fantasy drama film ''
The Boy Who Could Fly''
*Amelia Murgatroyd (nicknamed Amy), minor character in the 1950 novel ''
A Murder Is Announced'' by Agatha Christie
*
Amelia Peabody, the main character in a series of mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters
*
Amelia "Amy" Pond, companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series ''Doctor Who''
*Amélie Poulain from
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's French comedy film ''
Amélie''
*Amelia Sachs in the Lincoln Rhyme Series, written by Jeffrey Deaver, played by Angelina Jolie in the movie version of ''
The Bone Collector''
*Amelia Sedley, in the novel
''Vanity Fair'' by William Thackeray
*
Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, in the anime ''Slayers''
*
Amelia Shepherd, a neurosurgeon in the TV medical dramas ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'' and ''
Private Practice ''
*
Princess Amelia Thermopolis, commonly called "Mia", main character in ''
The Princess Diaries'' book series by Meg Cabot
*
Amelia Voght, a Marvel Comics character in the X-Men franchise
*Amelia Von Butch, a treasure hunter and main antagonist in the 2005 animated film ''
Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy?''
*Amelia, in the TV series ''
Rubbadubbers''
*Amelia Hughes, the first season antagonist of the 2019 animated series ''
Infinity Train''
*Captain Amelia, in the 2002 film ''
Treasure Planet''
See also
*
Amelia (disambiguation)
*
Amélie (given name)
*
Amalie (given name)
*
Emelia (given name)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amelia (Given Name)
English feminine given names
German feminine given names
Italian feminine given names
Feminine given names
Czech feminine given names
Slovak feminine given names
Scandinavian feminine given names
English-language feminine given names