Amelia
Meaning of Amelia
Amelia, pronounced uh-MEE-lee-uh (/əˈmiːliə/), blends Latin elegance with Germanic grit: scholars link it both to Aemilia, an ancient Roman family name meaning “rival,” and to the Germanic root amal, “work.” The dual etymology gives the name a quiet versatility—equally at home in Spanish-speaking plazas and English-speaking classrooms. In the United States it has surged from a rank near 200 at the dawn of the millennium to a steady Top-5 fixture since 2021, mirroring a global revival powered by sleek sound, traditional backbone, and high-profile namesakes such as aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and contemporary author Amelia Gray. Royal usage—Princess Amelia of the British court—and pop-culture nods from “Amelia Bedelia” to the French film heroine “Amélie” add further layers of familiarity. The result is a name that feels both time-honored and forward-moving, carrying connotations of ambition, resilience, and cosmopolitan flair without tipping into trend-of-the-moment territory.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as uh-MEE-lee-uh (/əˈmiːliə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Amelia
| Amelia Earhart was a pioneering American aviator who set records including the first solo female Atlantic crossing, championed women's rights and commercial air travel, helped form the Ninety-Nines, wrote bestsellers, and disappeared in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world. |
| Amelia Bence was a celebrated Argentine film actress and leading diva of Argentina's Golden Age cinema from the 1930s to the 1950s. |
| Amelia Boynton Robinson was an American civil rights leader in Selma and a key figure in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. |
| Amelia Lily Oliver is an English singer and television personality who placed third on The X Factor in 2011, was runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, and joined Geordie Shore in 2020. |
| Amelia Jenks Bloomer, an American women's rights and temperance advocate, became the first woman to own and run a newspaper for women with The Lily, and her dress reform advocacy gave her name to bloomers. |
| Amelia Randall Meath is an American musician, songwriter, and producer based in Durham, North Carolina, best known as a member of Sylvan Esso and Mountain Man. |
| Amelia Rose Earhart is an American private pilot and former Denver TV reporter who founded the Fly With Amelia Foundation in 2013 to award flight scholarships to girls ages 16 to 18. |
| Amelia Vega Polanco is a Dominican actress, model, and singer who won Miss Universe 2003 at 18, becoming the first from the Dominican Republic and the youngest winner since 1994. |
| Amelia Amorim Toledo was a pioneer of Brazilian contemporary art whose five decade career spanned sculpture, painting, draftsmanship, and design, exploring diverse materials and methods. |
| Amelia Dranga was an American physician and public health educator from Pittsburgh. |
| Amelia Rose Blaire Dechart is an American actress known for playing Willa Burrell on the HBO series True Blood and Piper Shaw on the MTV series Scream. |
| Amelia Warren Tyagi is an American businesswoman and author who co-founded Business Talent Group and HealthAllies, co-wrote two books with her mother Elizabeth Warren, and has served with Demos, Fuse Corps, and Marketplace. |
| Amelia Matilda Murray was a British botanist, writer, and courtier who in 1856 published a book defending slavery. |
| Princess Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg was born a Princess of Nassau and became Duchess of Anhalt-Bernburg through marriage. |
| Amelia Gray Hamlin - Amelia Gray is an American model and television personality. |
