Given name
Emalee
“rival”
Emalee is a variant of Emily. The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Emalee is a variant of Emily. The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Emalee is a variant of Emily. Emily is an English development of the Latin feminine name Aemilia.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Emalee is a variant of Emily. The shared background comes through Emily: Aemilia is the feminine form of Aemilius. Emily developed through a medieval version of that name; the proposed root is aemulus, “rival.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Emalee is a variant of Emily. The history of Emily gives this family its wider story. Emily was relatively uncommon in the Middle Ages and was revived in the nineteenth century. At that time, Emilia and the separately rooted Amelia were often confused, helping explain their overlapping naming histories.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Emalee through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,814
- 0 boys · 3,814 girls
- Most popular year
- 2005
- 236 babies
- 2025
- 13
- #8,012 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −62%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 13 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,012 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 61.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 236 in 2005. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,181 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Emalee’s family of names
In English usage, Emalee has a diminutive in Em. Emalee has a related form in Emily.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 4
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Emalee, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Estrella
“star of the sea” · “resembling a star”
>99% girls
Emely
“rival”
>99% girls
Elisabeth
“God is my oath”
>99% girls
Halle
“as solid as a rock”
>99% girls
Amani
“one who is peaceful” · “one with wishes and dreams”
18% boys · 82% girls
Amelie
“one who is industrious and hardworking”
>99% girls
Alondra
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% girls
Anahi
Anahi is a feminine given name from Spanish.
>99% girls