Emile

Emile, written Émile in French, comes from the Roman family name Aemilius. That older name is traditionally connected with Latin aemulus, meaning a rival or someone who strives to equal another. The connection is a conventional explanation of an ancient family name, rather than a description of a child’s future temperament.

French literature gives Émile several substantial associations. Émile Zola was a major novelist, while Jean-Jacques Rousseau used the name for the central figure in his work on education, Émile. Painter Émile Bernard adds an artistic connection. The accent marks the French opening vowel and is part of the usual French spelling. Families using Emile without the accent can still retain that linguistic and cultural history.