Emily
Emily is a girls' name of Latin origin meaning “rival, industrious, striving.” It ranked #34 in the United States in 2025. The English form of Aemilia, from the Roman gens Aemilia.
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how do you pronounce Emily?
EM-ih-lee
where does the name Emily come from?
The English form of the Roman family name Aemilius, by way of the French Émilie. The root aemulus means rival or striving, though the industrious gloss now commonly attached to it has migrated across from the unrelated Germanic Amelia.
It was the most popular girl's name in the United States for over a decade and is associated with poets Emily Dickinson and Emily Brontë.
how popular is this name?
Emily has appeared in the US top 1,000 in 146 years since 1880. It peaked at #1 in 1996, and ranked #34 in 2025.
See the milestone years
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #34 |
| 2024 | #25 |
| 2023 | #19 |
| 2022 | #17 |
| 2021 | #21 |
| 2020 | #18 |
| 2019 | #12 |
| 2018 | #12 |
| 2017 | #12 |
| 2016 | #9 |
| 2010 | #6 |
| 2000 | #1 |
| 1996 | #1 |
| 1990 | #12 |
| 1980 | #31 |
| 1970 | #173 |
| 1960 | #251 |
| 1950 | #203 |
| 1940 | #164 |
| 1930 | #154 |
| 1920 | #119 |
| 1910 | #110 |
| 1900 | #105 |
| 1890 | #86 |
| 1880 | #100 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset (through 2025). Years absent from the table are years Emily fell outside the top 1,000.
the history of Emily
Three of the nineteenth century's most consequential women in English carried it: Emily Brontë, who wrote Wuthering Heights; Emily Dickinson, whose poems were largely unpublished in her lifetime; and Emily Davison, killed at the 1913 Derby campaigning for women's suffrage. The name led the American charts every year from 1996 to 2007.
who are famous people named Emily?
- Emily Dickinson
- Emily Brontë
- Emily Blunt
what are the nicknames and variants of Emily?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
what names are similar to Emily?
what names go well with Emily?
Sibling names that share Emily's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
quick answers about Emily
What does the name Emily mean?
Emily means “rival, industrious, striving”.
What is the origin of the name Emily?
Emily comes from the Latin naming tradition. Related forms include Emilie, Emilia and Emely.
How popular is the name Emily?
Emily ranked #34 in the US in 2025, according to Social Security data. Its best year was 1996, at #1, and it has spent 146 years in the top 1,000 since 1880.
Is Emily a boy or girl name?
Emily is primarily a girls' name.
How do you pronounce Emily?
Emily is pronounced EM-ih-lee, with 3 syllables.
Last updated · Curated by HushName editorial
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