Given name
Emalei
“rival”
Emalei 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
Emalei 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
Emalei is a variant of Emily. Emily is an English development of the Latin feminine name Aemilia.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Emalei 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 2008. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Emalei 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
Emalei through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5
- 0 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 5 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2008. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.