Emily at a glance
- Meaning
- “rival”
- Gender
- Girl
- Origin
- Latin
- Pronunciation
- EM-ih-lee
- Nicknames
- Em, Emmy, Millie
- Other forms
- Emilia, Émilie, Emilie
Where the name Emily comes from
Emily comes from Aemilia, the female form of an old Roman family name that probably meant “rival”. It became common in England in the 18th century, after the German royal family arrived; a princess named Amelia was often called Emily. The writers Emily Brontë and Emily Dickinson helped make it a classic.
Famous people named Emily
- Emily Brontë (novelist)
- Emily Dickinson (poet)