| Emily | Olivia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rival; eager | Olive tree |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EM-uh-lee | oh-LIV-ee-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1999 (26,542) | 2014 (19,840) |
| In 2025 | 5,451 | 13,544 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Emily | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 37,622 | 95,853 |
| 2010s | 117,646 | 184,561 |
| 2000s | 223,768 | 156,054 |
| 1990s | 237,262 | 75,913 |
| 1980s | 131,764 | 14,060 |
| 1970s | 46,839 | 7,846 |
| 1960s | 12,332 | 4,016 |
| 1950s | 12,839 | 6,100 |
| 1940s | 13,409 | 7,201 |
| 1930s | 11,916 | 3,922 |
| 1920s | 18,754 | 4,982 |
| 1910s | 17,069 | 3,545 |
| 1900s | 6,423 | 1,575 |
| 1890s | 5,476 | 1,099 |
| 1880s | 3,368 | 618 |
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.
Olivia derives from the Latin oliva, “olive tree,” a symbol of peace. Shakespeare popularised it as a character name in Twelfth Night.
Olivia is more popular than Emily today: about 13,544 US babies were given the name Olivia in 2025, compared with 5,451 named Emily.
Emily means Rival; eager (Latin origin), while Olivia means Olive tree (Latin origin).
In US records, Emily first appears in 1880 and Olivia in 1880, so Emily has the longer recorded history.