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At a Glance: Name: Emily – Meaning: rival, one who emulates or strives to equal/outdo – Origin: Latin – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: EM-ih-lee
Emily is a classic Latin name, pronounced EM-ih-lee, rooted in the word aemulus — 'rival, one who emulates or strives to equal or outdo.' You may have come across the claim that Emily means 'rival, industrious, eager,' but that 'industrious' part isn't accurate for this name: it's actually borrowed from Amelia, a separate Germanic name whose root amal is the one that means 'work.' Emily's own verified meaning stays with that sense of rivalry and striving to match or surpass.
Meaning & Origin of Emily
Meaning: Rival, one who emulates or strives to equal/outdo.
Origin: Latin.
A common claim: Emily means 'rival, industrious, eager' Actually: The 'industrious' part has no basis in Emily's actual Latin root (aemulus, 'rival/emulating'); it's borrowed from the separate Germanic name Amelia, whose root (amal) does mean 'work'.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Emily
Phonetic: EM-ih-lee IPA: /ˈɛməli/
Popularity of Emily
Emily hit its peak in 1996, when it was the #1 girls' name in the U.S. with 25,150 babies given the name; by 2024 it had fallen to #25, with 5,955 babies named Emily that year.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data via names_full.json, 1880–2024.
Make Emily Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Emily, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names without a catalog record, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Emily mean?
Rival, one who emulates or strives to equal/outdo. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Emily)
How do you pronounce Emily?
Emily is pronounced EM-ih-lee (IPA: /ˈɛməli/).
Is Emily a popular name right now?
Emily peaked at #1 in 1996 and is ranked #25 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Emily? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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