Emily??

[busybee87]

DH and I both love the name Emily, and it fits really well with our surname, but is it too popular? There are so many beautiful girl names but none of them seem quite 'right' other than Emily. Don't want people to think we didn't try!

Middle name would be Freda after DH's grandmother.

[GRW]

Emily Freda is lovely. It has been popular for 20 years plus, but not as many Emily's being born as a few years ago.

[Whatsyourflava]

Emily is one of my favourite names
A complete classic

[Whatsyourflava]

It actually sounds really fresh these days

[melisande99]

It doesn't matter whether people think you've "tried"... Yes, it is an extremely common name, but lots of people have extremely common names.

[Palmtree3]

I’m in my early 30s and my name is Emily and I love my name.

[Roselilly36]

I like it, but yes it’s popular, two of my DS’ girlfriends were called Emily.

[PabloHoneyBee]

Go with what you love most!

Yes, it's popular. I probably know about 5 under 5, including a baby. Popularity doesn't tend to bother me, but I have to admit that I do think Emily is quite boring. Every time someone tells me their baby or child's name is Emily they immediately start apologising for it, "I know it's so popular but...". Depends if it bothers you. It clearly bothers those parents!

That said, it's fairly classic and won't date like "trendy" names and it's pretty, so I do see the appeal.

[Daisy829]

I have a 6 year old Emily & I had the same concerns as you but there are no other Emilys in her year group at school (3 class year). I was really surprised. I think it’s a little less popular than maybe 9 years ago when my eldest was born. It’s a gorgeous name.

[busybee87]

Thanks all. Our DS also has a classic but always fairly popular name. I do quite like the 'old lady' names at the moment but worry that's just because they're in fashion! Same with Matilda- nice but worry I'm being swayed by current trends.

I suppose it's better for her to have a name that some might view as being 'boring' over one that dates or she doesn't like!

[PabloHoneyBee]

Yes, it's definitely very safe. So if that's what you are after, (and I wouldn't blame you! I am not one for pricing rarity over just a nice name at all), then Emily is the perfect choice.

Who knows? You may see her in person and she will look just like an Emily or maybe something else.

Another option might be something with lots of shortening options which is a "true" classic, (Charlotte, Elizabeth, Alexandra maybe).

Elizabeth especially, you could have old lady names like Betty / Betsy, or Eliza or Beth? Alexandra could be Ally or Lexi or Alex.

There is also Emma which I think is more classic through history whereas I think Emily is a modern classic if that makes sense. If people were to date Emily they might say noughties?

But Emily is a perfectly nice name that nobody would seriously object to.

[PabloHoneyBee]

Prizing*

[mhn1]

Slightly biased as it's my name! But no, I personally don't think it's too common. Back when I was at school, there were a few Emilys in my year group but since leaving school, I actually rarely meet another Emily.
I know it's difficult sometimes but you really do have to think past the school ages - once you get to a certain age you're mixing with waaaay more people and names become more varied, if that makes sense?

Not only that, but if it's a name that's really speaking to you then by all means go for it :)

[PabloHoneyBee]

The other thing to consider is that there may not be many Emilys about, but there may be Emilias, Amelies and Amelias. So it may get lumped in with those.

[PabloHoneyBee]

Oh and Emmeline.

[Chilldonaldchill]

My children are in their teens but I still meet a lot of babies and younger children through my work.
I feel like I know a lot of Emilys but when I count up...
I know one in her 40s, three in their 20s (I think it was much commoner then), two in their teens. There wasn't one in my children's primary school throughout the whole time that any of them were there and there aren't any in any of their years at their very large secondary school.
I haven't met any little ones for ages.
I think it's a classic and therefore won't ever disappear from name lists but I don't think it's so popular that you're guaranteed an Emily [Surname initial].

[Sexnotgender]

My teenager is Emily. She was the only one at her primary and I think there are 3 in her high school.

[RuthW]

Freda is lovely.

Emily is ok and not many around these days.

When dd was at primary, 20% of the girls in her year were called Emily. Surprisingly, none of her friends were but 7 of her friends were called Georgia.

She's 24 now.

[Pemba]

It's a really nice name. Yes it's been popular over the last few decades but not as much as Emma is/was. DD (twenties) has several Emma friends, no Emilys.

It's classic too I would say (Emily Bronte, Emily Dickinson etc).

[Alonelonelyloner]

It's beautiful. Classic, strong and definitely not overly used.

[PabloHoneyBee]

It's an interesting one and I think depends on your peer group. Out of interest I was looking at the ONS data and it's only number 18 or something in the top 100 overall, but it's number three for babies born to mothers aged 35+. Maybe that's why I know more of them, as I live near London where the average age of mothers is higher.

Number one overall is Amelia though and my 5yo has none in her 2 class year group.

[PabloHoneyBee]

Oh pardon me; #11 overall! Must have been #18 for mums under 25 or something like that. Or else I just have a head like a sieve .

[Babieblues]

Emily is ok and not many around these days
I don’t know where you are but there’s a LOT of Emily’s around me, I know 4 under 3.

[busybee87]

This is all really interesting, thank you. I do think it's partly fluke how many of a certain name you know. I'm a teacher and in one of the older year groups (secondary) there's three in one class, but I don't teach a single one in the whole of years 7, 8 or 9! Islas, isabellas, Evie's etc however are pretty much a guarantee in every class!

[yikesanotherbooboo]

Emily is a classic name and a lot less popular now than it was with 30 years ago or 15 years ago. Choose the name you like . If

[DarkDarkNight]

I love Emily and would definitely consider it as a first or middle name. I love Freda/Frida as well.

I’m not sure where Emily is on the list of most popular names to be honest but I don’t know of any children called Emily at my Son’s school or any of his groups so I don’t think it’s over-used.