Emily is a female given name of English origin. It was first used as a given name in the 17th century and became popular during the Victorian era. The name Emily is derived from the Latin feminine name Aemilia, which means "rival" or "to Excel". This name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history, such as the English poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) and the American actress Emily Blunt (born 1982). Today, Emily remains a popular choice for parents naming their daughters.
The name Emily has been a popular choice for parents in the United States since the late 19th century. Here are some interesting statistics about its usage over time:
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of babies named Emily varied from year to year but generally increased over time. Between 1880 and 1939, there were between 106 and 2,361 births per year with the name Emily.
The real boom in popularity for the name Emily occurred after World War II. In 1947, there were only 582 babies named Emily. However, by 1960, this number had risen to 1,225, indicating that more parents were choosing this name for their daughters.
The trend of increasing popularity continued into the latter half of the 20th century. In 1970, there were 1,931 births with the name Emily. This rose significantly over the next decade to reach a peak of 19,365 in 1980.
However, after this peak year, the popularity of the name Emily began to decline slightly but steadily. Between 1981 and 2017, there were between 8,712 and 14,279 births per year with the name Emily.
In recent years, the number of babies named Emily has continued to decrease. In 2020, there were 6,913 births with this name, and in 2021, this had fallen further to just 6,588.
Overall, between 1880 and 2022, a total of 884,942 babies have been named Emily in the United States. Despite fluctuations over time, it is clear that Emily has consistently been a popular choice for parents looking for a name with a certain elegance and classic charm.