The first name Emily
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “rival”, “emulator”.
Pronounced /ˈɛm.ə.li/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Emily means “rival”, “emulator” in Latin.
English form of Latin Aemilia, a gens name from aemulus (“rival, emulator”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 956 girls were named Emily, making it the 44th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1999, with 6,760 births (#2).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Emily with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Emily at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 5,451 girls born in the United States were named Emily, the 34th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1999, when 26,542 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Emily in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Emily
187 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Emily DickinsonAmerican poet (1830-1886)
- Emily BrontëEnglish novelist and poet (1818–1848)
- Emily BluntBritish actress (born 1983)
- Emily Greene BalchAmerican economist and writer, 1867–1961
- Emily WatsonEnglish actress (born 1967)
- Emily OsmentAmerican actress and singer (born 1992)
- Emily DeschanelAmerican actress, television producer, and film producer, born 1976
- Emily RatajkowskiAmerican model and actress, born 1991
- Emily BrowningAustralian actress, singer and model, born 1988
- Emily VanCampCanadian actress, born 1986
- Emily MortimerBritish actress, born 1971
- Emily ProcterAmerican actress, born 1968
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Emily mean?
- Emily means “rival”, “emulator” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Emily?
- English form of Latin Aemilia, a gens name from aemulus (“rival, emulator”).
- How popular is the name Emily?
- In 2025, 956 girls born in England and Wales were named Emily, ranking 44th. Its peak was 1999, with 6,760 births.
- What are nicknames for Emily?
- Common nicknames for Emily include Milly, Millie, Emmy, Emme.
- Is Emily a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 898,296 US babies named Emily since 1880 were girls.
- When was Emily most popular?
- 1999 in the United States, when 26,542 babies were named Emily, its highest rank at 1st.
- How do you pronounce Emily?
- Emily is /ˈɛm.ə.li/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Emily?
- Emilia.