| Emily | Ava | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rival; eager | Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EM-uh-lee | AY-vuh |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1999 (26,542) | 2007 (18,053) |
| In 2025 | 5,451 | 7,732 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Emily | Ava |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 37,622 | 63,350 |
| 2010s | 117,646 | 155,879 |
| 2000s | 223,768 | 104,539 |
| 1990s | 237,262 | 4,207 |
| 1980s | 131,764 | 1,416 |
| 1970s | 46,839 | 1,319 |
| 1960s | 12,332 | 2,342 |
| 1950s | 12,839 | 4,237 |
| 1940s | 13,409 | 1,346 |
| 1930s | 11,916 | 1,180 |
| 1920s | 18,754 | 1,590 |
| 1910s | 17,069 | 1,401 |
| 1900s | 6,423 | 533 |
| 1890s | 5,476 | 479 |
| 1880s | 3,368 | 279 |
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.
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.”
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.
Emily means Rival; eager (Latin origin), while Ava means Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” (Latin origin).
In US records, Emily first appears in 1880 and Ava in 1880, so Emily has the longer recorded history.