From Emily in Paris to Emily Ratajowski, and TikTok star Emily Mariko, the name “Emily” is everywhere right now.
The Facts
- According to The New York Times, the name Emily has become a popular name in television, cinema, and music.
- Emily, Emily the Criminal, and season three of Emily in Paris are movies and TV shows that have been released in the last year. While Phoebe Bridger’s band boygenius released the song “Emily I’m Sorry” in 2023.
- Emily was one of the top five names for girls born in the U.S. in the 1990s. And from 1996 to 2007, when 48 million people were born in the U.S., Emily held the top spot for female names. These stats account for the plethora of Emilys in culture right now.
- The New York Times reports that Emily became popular among expecting parents in the 1990s and early 2000s who wanted an alternative but classic name to widely-used monikers like “Jennifer” and “Michelle.”
But: The name “Emily” is starting to wane in popularity. In 2020, Emily fell to number 21 in the most popular names for girls born in the U.S.
What name is the next ‘Emily’?
- Since 2007, girls’ names ending with a soft “A” — such as Emma, Olivia, Amelia, and Mia — have become popular.
- Some of the biggest and rising Gen Z stars sport this new generation of names for example singer Olivia Rodrigo, influencer Emma Chamberlain, and models Amelia Gray Hamlin, and Mia Regan.
