Amil
Masculine
Amil is given to both — 982 boys and 264 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Amil sits at a junction of at least three traditions, and its American peak in 1886 points firmly at one of them. In that decade the record is dominated by German and Central European migration, which makes a variant of Emil by far the likeliest source — though Arabic and South Asian routes to the same four letters are entirely real and account for most modern bearers.
How old is the name Amil?
Amil first appears in US birth records in 1886 — 139 years ago. The typical Amil alive today was born around 2002, making them about 23 years old. About 700 people named Amil are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Amil most popular?
Amil peaked in 1886, reaching #959 nationally. Today it ranks #5861, 4,902 places below that high. See the whole 1886 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Aemilius to Amil
Our story of Amil
Short names collide across languages more often than long ones, and Amil is a good demonstration of why the American birth record cannot always tell you what a name is. Four letters, two syllables, three of the most common sounds in human speech: the combination is bound to be reached independently by unrelated traditions, and it has been. What the record does supply is timing, and timing is a real clue. A name peaking in 1886 in the United States is almost certainly European, because the Arabic- and South Asian-speaking populations here at that date were tiny. A name appearing in numbers after 1970 is much more likely to be one of the others. So the same spelling in different decades probably represents entirely different names, and the honest reading of this entry is that it is at least two names sharing a row.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Three candidate sources with different answers. Emil descends from the Roman family name Aemilius, whose derivation is disputed but usually connected to aemulus, 'rival, striving'. Arabic amil means a worker, a doer or an agent, and is a real if uncommon name. Sanskrit and Hindi amal means pure or clean and gives Amal, which is a different name again. A given Amil may descend from any of these, and the American record is not detailed enough to separate them.
How the name formed
- Aemilius
- Emil
- Amil
Related forms: Emil · Amil · Amal
Pronouncing Amil
ah-MEEL
Two syllables, with the stress at the end in Arabic and in most European readings. English speakers often front-stress it, AM-il, which is the main variation heard. The spelling does not settle which.
Nicknames for Amil
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1886
- Most boys named
- 202040 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #959reached in 1886
- Change vs 2023
- −59.5%15 in 2025, from 37
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Amil in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Emil in German — related form
- Amil in Arabic — same name
- Amal in Hindi — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Florida, Pennsylvania.
Amils among us
people named Amil are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 113,872 born in 2025 was named Amil
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Amil sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Amil beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Amil in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Four letters and two syllables, easy to say in a great many languages.
- It is spelled the same in Arabic transliteration and in European use.
- It is uncommon in the United States without being unpronounceable.
- Two stress patterns circulate and neither is more correct.
- It is very close to Emil, Amal and Jamil, all of which are separate names.
- The origin depends on the family, so the meaning question needs a qualifier.
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Amil
Masculine · #5861 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Amils are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Amil are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Amil in 2025?
- Amil ranks #5861 among US boy names in 2025, with 15 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Amil?
- About 1 in every 113,872 US boys born in 2025 was named Amil — 15 in all.
- Will my child share the name Amil with classmates?
- Amil will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Amil
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Eber#5861 · Wilton#5861 · Ruby#5861 · Stacy#5861 · Garner#5861 · Caldwell#5861 · Severin#5861 · Newton#5861
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Amil? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Amil and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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