Emily (given name)

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Emily
Emily Dickinson daguerreotype (Restored).jpg
Due to the fame of poet Emily Dickinson, the name Emily nowadays has literary associations.
Gender Female
Origin
Word/name Latin
Meaning Rival
Other names
Related names Amelia, Amelie, Emilia, Emilie, Emma, Em, Emmy,

Emily is a feminine given name derived from the Roman feminine name Aemilia. The Latin name Aemilia in turn may derive from the Latin word aemulus (or from the same root as aemulus), meaning "rival", but this may be a folk etymology.

Popularity

Emily has been a hugely popular name in the English-speaking world, ranking among the most popular names in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. It held the position for over a decade as the most common name given to girls in the United States but fell to sixth place in 2009.[1] In 2013 it was the sixth most popular name for girls in Australia.[2]

It is also a common name in numerous other countries.[3] Emily and Emma switched off as the number one most popular baby name for thirteen consecutive years until 2009 when Emma placed in second behind Isabella and Emily ranked as sixth.

"Emily also has literary associations, including Emily Dickinson, evoking images of a woman who is both beautiful and smart," noted a May 11, 2008, Associated Press article.[4]

Name variants

Alternate forms include:

See also

Notes