Emily Girl

Popularity: #33 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EM-uh-lee /ˈɛm.ɪ.li/

Origin: Latin; Old French; English

Meaning: Latin: rival; industrious; striving

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Emily has its roots in the Latin name Aemilia, which is derived from the word "aemulus," meaning "rival" or "eager." Aemilia was the feminine form of the Roman family name Aemilius, which was prominent in ancient Rome. The name transitioned into Old French as Émilie before being adopted into Middle English as Emily during the medieval period, particularly gaining traction in the 12th century.

This linguistic evolution reflects the broader influence of Latin on the development of European languages following the fall of the Roman Empire. Historically, the name Emily has been associated with various notable figures and literary works.

One significant milestone is its appearance in the 18th century through the character of Emily St. Aubert in Ann Radcliffe's Gothic novel "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (1794).

This character helped to popularize the name in literary circles. Additionally, the name was borne by several saints, including Saint Emily, the mother of Saint Augustine, who lived in the 4th century.

These historical associations contributed to the name's enduring presence in various cultures. Culturally, Emily has been linked to themes of aspiration and rivalry, reflecting its etymological roots.

The name has been embraced in various artistic and literary contexts, symbolizing strength and resilience. In addition to its full form, diminutive variations such as Em or Emmy have emerged, often used affectionately.

The name's rich historical background and its connections to significant cultural narratives have solidified its place in the lexicon of names across generations.

Famous people named Emily

In this section, you will find notable people named Emily. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Emily who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Emily who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Emily Blunt is an actress best known for The Devil Wears Prada, A Quiet Place, and Mary Poppins Returns.

Emily Dickinson is a poet best known for her innovative and introspective poetry.

Emily Ratajkowski is a model and actress best known for her role in Gone Girl and her advocacy for women's rights.

Emily Deschanel is an actress best known for her role in Bones and her work in various television series and films.

Emily Mortimer is an actress and filmmaker best known for her roles in Notting Hill, The Newsroom, and Mary Poppins Returns.

Emily VanCamp is an actress best known for her roles in Revenge and The Resident.

Emily Browning is an actress best known for her roles in Sucker Punch, The Uninvited, and Sleeping Beauty.

Emily Osment is an actress and singer best known for her role in Hannah Montana and her music career.

Emily Kinney is an actress and singer best known for her role in The Walking Dead and her music albums.

Emily Procter is an actress best known for her roles in CSI: Miami and The West Wing.

Emily Saliers is a musician best known as a member of the Indigo Girls.

Emily Weiss is a businesswoman best known for founding the beauty brand Glossier.

Fictional characters named Emily

The following list of fictional characters named Emily is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Emily is a fictional character from the novel and film Emily of New Moon. She is an imaginative and determined young girl who aspires to be a writer while navigating the challenges of her upbringing.

Emily is a fictional character from the animated series The Magic School Bus. She is a curious and enthusiastic student who participates in Ms. Frizzle's adventurous field trips.

Emily is a fictional character from the video game series Fallout. She is a key character in the storyline of Fallout 3, providing important information and guidance to the player.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Emily, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EmmaEllaEvelynElenaEleanorEvangeline

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Emily. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AmeliaAvaIsabellaOliviaSophiaMiaLilyChloe

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Emily was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Emily has ranked as high as #5 nationally, which occurred in 1999, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Emily has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Emily is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Emily was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Emily.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 5,461 10 5,451
2024 5,994 10 5,984
2023 6,186 9 6,177
2022 6,498 0 6,498
2021 6,600 6 6,594
2020 6,929 11 6,918
2019 8,267 8 8,259
2018 8,729 11 8,718
2017 9,822 5 9,817
2016 11,013 7 11,006
2015 11,825 17 11,808
2014 12,681 11 12,670
2013 13,164 20 13,144
2012 13,687 21 13,666
2011 14,288 11 14,277
2010 14,301 20 14,281
2009 15,385 19 15,366
2008 17,474 26 17,448
2007 19,394 27 19,367
2006 21,443 31 21,412
2005 23,985 33 23,952
2004 25,162 120 25,042
2003 25,734 41 25,693
2002 24,504 34 24,470
2001 25,091 32 25,059
2000 25,989 30 25,959
1999 26,587 45 26,542
1998 26,226 38 26,188
1997 25,769 35 25,734
1996 25,184 34 25,150
1995 24,422 40 24,382
1994 24,185 31 24,154
1993 23,639 43 23,596
1992 21,866 31 21,835
1991 20,345 34 20,311
1990 19,423 53 19,370
1989 17,405 82 17,323
1988 15,926 57 15,869
1987 14,761 51 14,710
1986 13,293 57 13,236
1985 13,191 47 13,144
1984 12,839 53 12,786
1983 12,421 44 12,377
1982 12,574 55 12,519
1981 10,847 48 10,799
1980 9,034 33 9,001
1979 7,998 27 7,971
1978 7,494 21 7,473
1977 6,896 17 6,879
1976 5,567 20 5,547
1975 5,498 16 5,482
1974 4,347 18 4,329
1973 3,040 13 3,027
1972 2,344 10 2,334
1971 1,866 0 1,866
1970 1,937 6 1,931
1969 1,575 0 1,575
1968 1,326 0 1,326
1967 1,209 5 1,204
1966 1,249 0 1,249
1965 1,288 0 1,288
1964 1,131 0 1,131
1963 1,108 0 1,108
1962 1,079 0 1,079
1961 1,147 0 1,147
1960 1,225 0 1,225
1959 1,213 0 1,213
1958 1,171 0 1,171
1957 1,207 0 1,207
1956 1,289 7 1,282
1955 1,304 0 1,304
1954 1,342 0 1,342
1953 1,325 0 1,325
1952 1,392 0 1,392
1951 1,287 0 1,287
1950 1,323 7 1,316
1949 1,392 0 1,392
1948 1,391 0 1,391
1947 1,470 0 1,470
1946 1,384 5 1,379
1945 1,141 7 1,134
1944 1,251 0 1,251
1943 1,336 0 1,336
1942 1,426 7 1,419
1941 1,377 9 1,368
1940 1,274 5 1,269
1939 1,300 8 1,292
1938 1,315 7 1,308
1937 1,298 5 1,293
1936 1,130 7 1,123
1935 1,094 0 1,094
1934 1,067 0 1,067
1933 1,062 0 1,062
1932 1,155 8 1,147
1931 1,194 8 1,186
1930 1,354 10 1,344
1929 1,450 6 1,444
1928 1,559 0 1,559
1927 1,667 11 1,656
1926 1,735 6 1,729
1925 1,772 5 1,767
1924 2,051 7 2,044
1923 2,062 5 2,057
1922 2,146 0 2,146
1921 2,190 6 2,184
1920 2,175 7 2,168
1919 2,313 6 2,307
1918 2,361 0 2,361
1917 2,220 0 2,220
1916 2,218 5 2,213
1915 2,091 0 2,091
1914 1,650 0 1,650
1913 1,386 0 1,386
1912 1,153 6 1,147
1911 909 0 909
1910 785 0 785
1909 749 0 749
1908 732 0 732
1907 714 0 714
1906 619 0 619
1905 683 0 683
1904 599 0 599
1903 558 0 558
1902 606 0 606
1901 537 0 537
1900 626 0 626
1899 569 0 569
1898 628 0 628
1897 619 0 619
1896 532 5 527
1895 605 0 605
1894 551 0 551
1893 506 0 506
1892 518 0 518
1891 444 0 444
1890 509 0 509
1889 429 0 429
1888 457 0 457
1887 335 0 335
1886 369 0 369
1885 346 0 346
1884 364 0 364
1883 342 0 342
1882 272 0 272
1881 244 0 244
1880 210 0 210

Top States for Emily (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 979
16%
TX 768
13%
FL 483
8%
NY 354
6%
IL 231
4%
NJ 196
3%
PA 190
3%
GA 173
3%
NC 159
3%
WA 154
3%
TN 153
3%
OH 137
2%
VA 133
2%
AZ 128
2%
MA 125
2%
CO 102
2%
MD 100
2%
MI 98
2%
IN 93
2%
AL 90
2%
SC 73
1%
MN 71
1%
OK 70
1%
MO 68
1%
KY 67
1%
UT 67
1%
LA 67
1%
OR 67
1%
NV 61
1%
WI 59
1%
CT 52
1%
NM 41
1%
KS 38
1%
AR 35
1%
IA 35
1%
ID 33
1%
NE 27
0%
MS 27
0%
DE 23
0%
HI 17
0%
RI 17
0%
NH 17
0%
WV 14
0%
ME 13
0%
MT 12
0%
AK 11
0%
SD 9
0%
ND 8
0%