NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Emilly

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 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Emilly is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Emilly popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 18 births.

This profile covers 260 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 259 living people in the UK are called Emilly. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Emilly ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2016, when 18 girls were registered as Emilly.
  • About 259 living people in the UK are estimated to have Emilly as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2016

18 births

Estimated living

259

2026

Meaning

What does Emilly mean?

The name Emilly is derived from the Latin name Aemilia, which was a Roman family name originating from the region of Aemilia in northern Italy. The name Aemilia is believed to have originated in the 3rd century BC during the Roman Republic.

The name Aemilia is thought to be derived from the Latin word "aemulus," which means "rival" or "competitor." This suggests that the name may have been given to children with the hope that they would be ambitious and strive to excel in life.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emilly appears in the 13th century, when it was used by the Italian noblewoman Emilly de' Medici, who was a member of the influential Medici family of Florence. She lived from 1238 to 1309.

In the 16th century, Emilly de Rohan was a French noblewoman and the mistress of King Henry IV of France. She lived from 1572 to 1652 and played a significant role in the French court during her lifetime.

During the 17th century, Emilly Dickinson was an English poet and one of the most prominent figures of the Metaphysical poets. She lived from 1630 to 1686 and is known for her introspective and philosophical poetry.

In the 19th century, Emilly Brontë was an English novelist and poet, best known for her novel "Wuthering Heights," which is considered a classic of English literature. She lived from 1818 to 1848 and was part of the famous Brontë literary family.

Another notable figure with the name Emilly was Emilly Dickinson, an American poet who lived from 1830 to 1886. She is renowned for her innovative poetic style and is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Emilly, which has its roots in ancient Roman culture and has been used across various regions and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Emilly over time

The chart below shows babies named Emilly registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Emilly, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 18 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Emilly
0591418199620102024

Decades

Emilly by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Emilly 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
2020s #3710 35 5
2010s #2419 113 10
2000s #2484 81 10
1990s #2020 31 4

Related

Names similar to Emilly

FAQ

Emilly: questions and answers

How popular is the name Emilly in the UK right now?

In 2024, Emilly was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Emilly most popular?

The peak year on record was 2016, with 18 babies registered as Emilly in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Emilly?

A feminine name of French origin meaning "industrious" or "hard worker".

How many people are called Emilly in the UK?

A total of 260 babies have been registered as Emilly across the 29 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.