Emily is a strong and gentle name that comes from the original medieval Roman name Aemilius. It translates best as "rival" or "to emulate."
The name made its way into the English-speaking world via the German House of Hanover, which came to the English throne in the 18th century. Two princesses named Amelia – Princess Amelia Sophia Eleanor of Great Britain and Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom – were nicknamed Emily.
The royal connection gave Emily the push it needed to enter the mainstream. Popular worldwide, Emily is particularly common in Australia and Ireland, while variations of Emily exist in many languages, including Swedish, Finnish, French, and Dutch.
Alternate versions of Emily include:
- Emely
- Emilia
- Emili
- Émilie
- Emmeline
- Emmalee
- Emalee
Emily also has countless nicknames, like Emmy, Emmie, Em, Emy, Milly, and Millie. Male versions of the name include Emilio, Emil, and Émile.
Emily has been consistently popular in the United States since 1880, according to the Social Security Administration. Emily was the top name for baby girls in the U.S. from 1996 until 2007, before being usurped by – wait for it – Emma. It seems likely that the only thing that pushed Emily out of the top three was the age-old curse of being too popular. (And it's still in the top 20 baby names for girls!)
What makes Emily so popular over the decades? It
's a mix of things: The name is classically feminine and full of sweetness and light, but it also conjures dignity and strength. There have been plenty of Emilys of substance and notoriety, including authors, poets, actresses, activists, and pioneering suffragettes.
Musical homages to Emily are myriad, the most popular of which is probably Simon and Garfunkel's
"For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her." In the 1960s, both Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra recorded a song called "Emily."
Emily remains a classic, timeless name that
's very similar to other super-popular names like Emma and Amelia. It's one that may well stay on the name charts for another hundred-plus years.
