UK girl's name
Emelye
A feminine name of French origin meaning "industrious" or "hard worker".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Emelye is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Emelye popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5707, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 7 births.
This profile covers 36 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 36 living people in the UK are called Emelye. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Emelye ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales in 2010, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 7 girls were registered as Emelye.
- • About 36 living people in the UK are estimated to have Emelye as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5707
2010
Births in 2010
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
7 births
Estimated living
36
2026
Meaning
What does Emelye mean?
The name Emelye is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the Old French name Emelie, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Amalrich. The name Amalrich is composed of the elements "amal" meaning "work" and "ric" meaning "power" or "ruler." The earliest recorded use of the name Emelye dates back to the 12th century.
One of the earliest and most notable references to the name Emelye can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in the late 14th century. In the tale "The Knight's Tale," Emelye is the name of a beautiful and virtuous woman who is sought after by two knights, Palamon and Arcite. This literary work played a significant role in popularizing the name in England during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, Saint Emilia Bicchieri (1238-1314) was a Dominican tertiary and mystic from Vercelli, Italy. She is known for her visions and prophecies, and her name is a variation of Emelye, reflecting the name's spread throughout Europe during this period.
Another notable figure with the name Emelye is Emilie du Châtelet (1706-1749), a French mathematician, physicist, and author. She was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment and is best known for her translation of Isaac Newton's work on physics into French. Her contributions to the fields of mathematics and science were groundbreaking for a woman of her time.
In the 19th century, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was an American poet renowned for her unique style and profound insights. Although her name is spelled differently, it is derived from the same root as Emelye and reflects the continuing popularity of the name in various forms.
Another notable figure is Emilie Kempin-Spyri (1853-1901), a Swiss author best known for her children's book "Heidi." Her work, which portrays the life of a young girl in the Swiss Alps, has become a beloved classic and has been translated into numerous languages.
While the name Emelye has seen varying levels of popularity throughout history, it has maintained a presence in various cultures and time periods, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Emelye over time
The chart below shows babies named Emelye registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Emelye, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2010, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emelye by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Emelye was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5707 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3470 | 17 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2691 | 16 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Emelye
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Elsie 23,671
- Emilia 22,167
FAQ
Emelye: questions and answers
How popular is the name Emelye in the UK right now?
In 2010, Emelye was ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Emelye most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 7 babies registered as Emelye in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Emelye?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "industrious" or "hard worker".
How many people are called Emelye in the UK?
A total of 36 babies have been registered as Emelye across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.