Émile

Émile is a masculine given name of French origin. It derives from the Latin name Aemilius, passing through Old French, and is related to the Roman gens Aemilia. The root aemulus means “rival” or “emulous,” a sense reflecting striving or merit. The name is common in French-speaking regions and has many international variants, including Emil (German and Scandinavian), Emile (English and Dutch), and Emilio (Spanish and Italian).

In literature and philosophy, the name is notably associated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s treatise Émile, or On Education (Émile, ou de l'Éducation, 1762), which presents a naturalistic program of education through a hypothetical pupil named Émile.

Notable people named Émile include Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), French sociologist; Émile Zola (1840–1902), French novelist; Émile Baudot (1845–1903), engineer who developed the Baudot code; Émile Gallé (1846–1904), glass designer and artist; Émile Reynaud (1844–1918), inventor of the praxinoscope; Émile Cohl (1857–1938), early animator; and Émile Picard (1856–1941), mathematician. The name is also used in various cultures with localized spellings and pronunciations, reflecting its enduring presence in European naming traditions.