Emily is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Emily means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Emily across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Emily has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Emily is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “rival, eager”. from the Roman family name Aemilius.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 898,296 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 120,771 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 13,127 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 4,453 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 14,203 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 8,635 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Emily per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1999 (26,587/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1999 (6,760/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2012 (626/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2014 (569/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2014 (261/yr).
Emily has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1999, when it ranked #5 nationally (given to 34,127 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Emilia · Emilio · Emil · Emely · Emilee · Emilie · Emelia · Emile
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