| Aubrey | Lily | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Elf ruler | Lily |
| Origin | English | english |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AW-bree | LIL-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1889 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2012 (8,061) | 2011 (8,192) |
| In 2025 | 2,003 | 6,673 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aubrey | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,235 | 35,872 |
| 2010s | 65,935 | 68,316 |
| 2000s | 29,537 | 56,186 |
| 1990s | 10,906 | 9,772 |
| 1980s | 6,802 | 2,708 |
| 1970s | 2,055 | 1,220 |
| 1960s | 115 | 1,148 |
| 1950s | 92 | 1,426 |
| 1940s | 112 | 1,511 |
| 1930s | 174 | 2,229 |
| 1920s | 277 | 3,757 |
| 1910s | 177 | 2,795 |
| 1900s | 74 | 1,045 |
| 1890s | 19 | 979 |
| 1880s | 5 | 680 |
Aubrey comes from the Germanic Alberic, “elf ruler” or “ruler of supernatural beings.” Once a boy’s name, it is now chiefly given to girls.
IS a bloom word: from the flower name, which derives from Latin 'lilium' (lily). The lily is a traditional symbol of purity.
Lily is more popular than Aubrey today: about 6,673 US babies were given the name Lily in 2025, compared with 2,003 named Aubrey.
Aubrey means Elf ruler (English origin), while Lily means Lily (english origin).
In US records, Aubrey first appears in 1889 and Lily in 1880, so Lily has the longer recorded history.