A female name. (German Amalie, French Amélie), a hypocoristic form of an Old German name in amal-, such as Amalburga the name of an 8th-C Burgundian saint. Many Gothic royal names were compounded with this element, which may mean ‘labour’. The name became confused quite early in Germany with Aemilia, from the name of the well-known Roman gens. It was not much used in England until the Hanoverian period, 'when it became very popular and was often anglicized as Emily (q.v.). Thus Princess Amelia, the youngest d. of George III, was usually called Princess Emily. In the Curia Regis Rolls for 1205 there occur the names Amilia, Amellia, which may be an early use of Amelia.

An English offshoot from Emily, q. v. In the C20, it is, by the upper-middle and upper classes—whatever they may be—avoided as unfashionable. Many a heroine was named Amelia and was none the worse for it.

From Æmylia, name of a noble family in Rome, one of whom, Consul Æmylius or Æmilius, is said to have constructed the celebrated Via Æmilia; also the name of a Vestal who rekindled the fire of Vesta, which had been extinguished by putting her veil over it. The name Æmylius is from Greek αιμνλος, gentle, engaging, courteous.

Greek (feminine) - Full of melody.