Emily
Girl name · #34 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Emily? In official American birth records, Emily has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Emily is currently the #34 girl name in the United States — 5,451 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #8, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 330 girls born in 2025 was named Emily.
The 145-year story
Emily first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 210 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1999, when 26,542 girls were named Emily — good for #1 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Emily per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Emily against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Emily in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Emily is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Emily is most common
Geography matters for names, and Emily is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Emily is most common in RI (6.5 per 1,000), NM (6 per 1,000), NJ (5.8 per 1,000), CA (5.6 per 1,000), HI (5.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 4.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Emily is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Emily
Emily carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Emily family went to about 6,146 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #26, versus #34 for Emily alone.
Names like Emily
Statistically, parents drawn to Emily tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hannah, Grace, Lily, Madison, and Abigail.
HannahGraceLilyMadisonAbigailVictoriaJuliaAutumn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Emily | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,451 | #34 |
| 2024 | 5,984 | #25 |
| 2023 | 6,177 | #19 |
| 2022 | 6,498 | #17 |
| 2021 | 6,594 | #21 |
| 2020 | 6,918 | #18 |
| 2019 | 8,259 | #12 |
| 2018 | 8,718 | #12 |
| 2017 | 9,817 | #12 |
| 2016 | 11,006 | #9 |
| 2015 | 11,808 | #8 |
| 2014 | 12,670 | #7 |
| 2013 | 13,144 | #7 |
| 2012 | 13,666 | #6 |
| 2011 | 14,277 | #6 |
| 2010 | 14,281 | #6 |
| 2009 | 15,366 | #6 |
| 2008 | 17,448 | #3 |
| 2007 | 19,367 | #1 |
| 2006 | 21,412 | #1 |
| 2005 | 23,952 | #1 |
| 2004 | 25,042 | #1 |
| 2003 | 25,693 | #1 |
| 2002 | 24,470 | #1 |
| 2001 | 25,059 | #1 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Emily?
In official American birth records, the name Emily first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 210 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Emily a popular girl name?
Emily ranked #34 among girls in 2025 with 5,451 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #8.
When was the name Emily most popular?
Emily peaked in 1999, when 26,542 American girls received the name (ranked #1 that year). Since 1999 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Emily?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 330 newborn American girls was named Emily. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.