Emily
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Emily is a Latin name meaning “industrious”. It is a popular name, overwhelmingly used for girls, with 99.96% female usage.
Meaning & Origin of the name Emily
Emily is a name of Latin origin, traditionally interpreted as meaning industrious or striving. The name descends from the Roman family name Aemilius, which is associated with the Latin term aemulus, meaning rival or eager. It represents a feminine development of this classical Roman lineage, appearing in literature and historical texts as a name denoting character and active participation. Over centuries, the name has maintained a steady presence as an example of Latin-based nomenclature within European history.
Meaning Comments
- Robin_hood86: Emily means to strive or excel, also some places state the meaning of this name as industrious / hardworking.
- Hag_not_odd: Means 'rival' just like its masculine counterpart Emil.
- Sm3ll0fbl00d: I really think it means “God’s Gift” or something. PS my cousin thinks it means god’s gift too.
Gender Usage of the Name Emily
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Emily is overwhelmingly used as a name for girls. Approximately 99.96% of recorded bearers are female. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Emily
Emily is among the Top 1 Trending Girls’ name in the United Kingdom for 2026
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Emily is listed under Popular Girl Names worldwide. Its popularity is relatively consistent across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Popular | 1 in every 268 births |
| United Kingdom | Popular | 1 in every 961 births |
| Canada | Popular | 1 in every 356 births |
| Australia | Popular | 1 in every 135 births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Emily ranked #34 on the Popular Girls’ Names Worldwide List (2025). It rose from #43 in 2024 — an improvement of 9 places. A widely recognized choice, Emily has maintained a steady Top-100 presence.
Historically, its best recorded position was #1, achieved in multiple years (1998–2007) — 10 years total. Its lowest recorded position was #341 in 1962. Over the last 5 years (2020–2025) the name fell -13 places (from #21 to #34).
Name StyleMethodology
Emily is classified as Timeless Girl Names because it appears across 100% of recorded years, averages 8,765 births per year over its full timeline, and still averages 7,986 births per year recently.Characteristics of the Name Emily
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 3 syllables — Three-Syllable Girl Names
- Length
- 5 letters — Medium-Length Girl Names
- Starts with
- E — Girl Names Starting with E
- Ends with
- y — Girl Names Ending in “y”
Name AestheticMethodology
Emily is defined by three syllables that begin with a vowel sound and maintain a front-heavy stress pattern, creating a melodic and light phonetic profile. Its cultural endurance is anchored by literary icons such as Emily Brontë and Emily Dickinson. The name sustains a Beautiful & Charming and Elegant & Timeless impression through these significant artistic associations.
Middle Names For Emily
Middle names used with EmilyMethodology
Emily is most frequently used with these girl middle names: Emily Elizabeth · Emily Ann · Emily Grace · Emily Marie · Emily AnneView all 2,837 girl middle names.
- Total 4,144 middle names used with Emily
- 226 boy middle names used with Emily
- 902 unisex middle names used with Emily
Middle name suggestions for EmilyMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Emily is most frequently associated with girl middle names that have Strong stress pattern, 5 letters, and a starting sound of “l”.
Examples: Emily Leigh · Emily Lynne · Emily Lynch · Emily Laine · Emily Leach. View all 82 suggested middle names.
Associations of the Name Emily
Royal UsageMethodology
Featured among Royal Girl Names, Emily has been used by 4 members of European royal families, including:
- Louisa Emily Charlott (Bulteel) (1839–1892)
- Emily (born 1976) — Hon.
Names Similar to Emily
Sound Like Emily Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: Emilia · Emilie · Emilee · View all 73 names
Spelled Like Emily Finder
Names with similar spelling patterns and letter sequences: Emilly · Emiley · Emmily · View all 9 names
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: Emma · Evelyn · Ella · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Emily Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Mary · Dorothy · Nancy · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Jennifer · Barbara · Margaret · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Emily”
Dictionary Meaning of "Emily"Methodology
A female given name from Latin
Examples
- 1380s-1390s, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: The Knight's Tale I am thy mortal foe, and it am I That so hot loveth Emily the bright, That I would die here present in her sight.
- People will please their fancies, and every lady has her favourite names. I myself have several, and they are mostly short and simple. - - - Emily, in which all womanly sweetness seems bound up - perhaps this is the effect of association of ideas - I have known so many charming Emilys
Translations
The name Emily has 40 translations, for example: in Spanish it is rendered as given name, etc..
More Info
How to Spell Emily in ASL
- E
- m
- i
- l
- y
Comments on the name Emily
Community CommentsShowing 5 of 102 comments
Ireal_guthix
This likely reached #1 because of the character Emily Valentine on Beverly Hills, 90210, which ran from 1990 to 2000.
Justice_2809
Was extremely popular in the 2000s, it had a good run of being the number one name but is now falling out of favour like most names do eventually.
Wyrmrunloki
This name is very common amongst trans women. I know several transfems named Emily.
Fireballbabe
Reminds me of the 90s.
Pitkamuna111
I associate this name with my generation so when I hear this name I assume Emily’s are in their early 20s, late teens. I wouldn’t personally pick it just because it’s a bit outdated nowadays but I don’t hate it. It just reminds me of the Y2k era.