How to say it
EM · uh · lee
ˈɛm.ə.li
Feminine
Emily
Rival, eager
What it means
English form of the Latin Aemilia, feminine of the Roman gens name Aemilius. Same Latin root as Emilia.
Emily came into medieval English through Old French and stayed in regular use for centuries before dropping off in the late 19th century. The 1970s revival started slowly and built into a wave: Emily held the US number-one girls' name from 1996 to 2007, the longest run of any modern feminine name. Emily Dickinson and Emily Brontë gave the name literary weight, and Emily in Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) gave it television warmth. Currently still US top thirty. Short forms are Em and Emmy.
How to spell Emily
The standard spelling is Emily. Common variants include Emilie, Emely, Emaly, Emilia, but Emily is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #1 in 1996, currently #34 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Em and Emmy both circulate. Emi shows up too, particularly in families with Japanese influence where Emi is a given name in its own right.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Emily Dickinson Reclusive 19th-century American poet
- Emily Brontë Author of Wuthering Heights, sister of Charlotte and Anne
- Emily in Paris Netflix series, 2020-present
Spelling variants
- Emilie
- Emely
- Emaly
- Emilia
Names with the same feeling
Common questions
- What does the name Emily mean?
- English form of the Latin Aemilia, feminine of the Roman gens name Aemilius. Same Latin root as Emilia.
- What does Emily mean in Latin?
- In Latin, Emily means "Rival, eager." Emily came into medieval English through Old French and stayed in regular use for centuries before dropping off in the late 19th century. The 1970s revival started slowly and built into a wave: Emily held the US number-one girls' name from 1996 to 2007, the longest run of any modern feminine name. Emily Dickinson and Emily Brontë gave the name literary weight, and Emily in Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) gave it television warmth. Currently still US top thirty. Short forms are Em and Emmy.
- How do you pronounce Emily?
- Emily is pronounced ˈɛm.ə.li. Say it as EM-uh-lee, with the stress on the "em" syllable.
- How do you spell Emily?
- The standard spelling is Emily. Common spelling variants include Emilie, Emely, Emaly, Emilia.
- Is Emily a boy or girl name?
- Emily is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Emily?
- Emily ranked #34 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.