| Ava | Emily | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” | Rival; eager |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AY-vuh | EM-uh-lee |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2007 (18,053) | 1999 (26,542) |
| In 2025 | 7,732 | 5,451 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ava | Emily |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 63,350 | 37,622 |
| 2010s | 155,879 | 117,646 |
| 2000s | 104,539 | 223,768 |
| 1990s | 4,207 | 237,262 |
| 1980s | 1,416 | 131,764 |
| 1970s | 1,319 | 46,839 |
| 1960s | 2,342 | 12,332 |
| 1950s | 4,237 | 12,839 |
| 1940s | 1,346 | 13,409 |
| 1930s | 1,180 | 11,916 |
| 1920s | 1,590 | 18,754 |
| 1910s | 1,401 | 17,069 |
| 1900s | 533 | 6,423 |
| 1890s | 479 | 5,476 |
| 1880s | 279 | 3,368 |
A short, much-loved name whose origin is debated — linked variously to “life” (via Eve), to a Germanic root, and to the Latin avis, “bird.”
Emily comes from the Roman family name Aemilius, linked to “rival” or “eager,” via the Latin Aemilia. It is carried by the poet Emily Dickinson and the novelist Emily Brontë.
Ava is more popular than Emily today: about 7,732 US babies were given the name Ava in 2025, compared with 5,451 named Emily.
Ava means Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” (Latin origin), while Emily means Rival; eager (Latin origin).
In US records, Ava first appears in 1880 and Emily in 1880, so Ava has the longer recorded history.