What does the name Emily mean?

Emily means rival; industrious. From Roman Aemilia.

Where does the name Emily come from?

Emily is a girl name of Latin origin.

Is Emily a boy or a girl name?

Emily is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Emily are girls and 0% are boys.

How popular is the name Emily in 2023?

Emily ranks #19 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1999 with 26,587 babies.

How do you pronounce Emily?

Emily is pronounced EM-i-lee (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Emily?

Emily is also written as Emilia, Emilie.

A name from Latin · Girl

Emily

Rival; industrious. From Roman Aemilia.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

885,052 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

6,186 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

ERival; industrious. From Roman Aemilia.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Emily".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Emilia Most common Emilie

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Emily.

E
Emily Dickinson (poet)
E
Emily Brontë (author)

Quick answers

People often ask about Emily.

What does the name Emily mean?: Emily means rival; industrious. From Roman Aemilia.
Where does the name Emily come from?: Emily is a girl name of Latin origin.
Is Emily a boy or a girl name?: Emily is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Emily are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Emily in 2023?: Emily ranks #19 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1999 with 26,587 babies.
How do you pronounce Emily?: Emily is pronounced EM-i-lee (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Emily?: Emily is also written as Emilia, Emilie.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.