Emily (English)

Where does "Emily" come from?

The English given name 'Emily' derives from the Latin feminine name 'Aemilia'[1], which is the feminine form of the Roman gens name 'Aemilius'[2]. The Roman family name itself traces back to 'aemulus', meaning 'rival' or 'emulator'[1].

Full etymology tree

• Emily (English), 'A female given name from Latin.'
  • borrowed Aemilia (Latin), 'A feminine praenomen.'
    • derived Aemilius (Latin), 'A Roman gens name.'
      • derived aemulus (Latin), 'striving to equal or excel, rivaling'

Sources

1. Emily (English) - Wiktionary
2. Aemilia (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris