Emily
Girl name · #34 in 2025 · Uniqueness 45/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Emily against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Emily in class?
Emily scores 45 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Emily is most common
Geography matters for names, and Emily is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Emilys were CA (910), TX (687), FL (447), NY (318), NJ (206). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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, Molly, Lily, and Madison.
HannahGraceMollyLilyMadisonAbigailVictoriaJulia
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
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. It scores 45/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.