Emily: meaning “rival”, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

What it means

The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain.

Where it comes from

Emily is an English development of the Latin feminine name Aemilia.

How it developed

Aemilia is the feminine form of Aemilius. Emily developed through a medieval version of that name; the proposed root is aemulus, “rival.”

The 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.

Emily through the years

Babies since 1880: 898,296; 1,809 boys · 896,487 girls
Most popular year: 1999; 26,587 babies
2025: 5,461; #34 for girls · #7,833 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: −31%; Easing

Emily in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inNew Jersey, California, New Mexico

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: New Jersey (206), California (910), New Mexico (28), Florida (447), Washington (147).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 5,451 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 34 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 31.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 26,542 in 1999. It also appeared in 10 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (910). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 755,529 as a first name in 2020; 912 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Emily’s family of names

Emily has an affectionate form in Emma. In English usage, Emily shares a linguistic root with the Norwegian Bokmål form Emilia. In German usage, Emily has a related form in Emilie.

Walk Emily’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Emily has relatives in 43 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.

Latinwhere Emily comes from · 1 name

Aemilia

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 37

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

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People named Emily

Characters named Emily: Emily the Strange (fictional human), Emily Fields (Pretty Little Liars).

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Emily, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Literary

Sibling ideas

Names that share Emily’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

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Emily

Meaning & origin

What it means

Where it comes from

How it developed

The story

Emily through the years

Where it’s given

By the numbers

Emily’s family of names

Around the world

Nicknames & forms 37

Across languages 32

See also 5

People named Emily

Appears in

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