Okay, this isn’t directed at anyone, but I’m sick and tired of people referring to [name_f]Emily[/name_f] as “boring” and “generic”. [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is a lovely name with an abundance of history. It is classic and will never be out of style like say, [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] or [name_f]Linda[/name_f]. I’m not saying this just because it’s my name – I’m just stating the facts. Before you start ranting [name_f]Emily[/name_f], think about the roots it has. Think about [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_m]Dickinson[/name_m], [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Brontë, [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Post, [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Carr, [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Hahn, and more. Think about the many years [name_f]Emily[/name_f] has been in favor. Think about its rhythmic sound, and just forget about the popularity! Geez, it really isn’t so bad being [name_f]Emily[/name_f] G. [name_m]Just[/name_m] some food for thought.
I like [name_f]Emily[/name_f] too, but people are allowed their own opinions, no matter how much we disagree with them. Each to his own and all that. Though, I find the opinion that a name is ‘boring’ usually goes hand in hand with the anti-popularity attitude which is abundant on here. If [name_f]Emily[/name_f] was a rare and hardly used in recent times, then it’d probably be deemed an interesting, beautiful, melodic, underused classic. It’s a shame really. There are many many pros to popular names that far outweigh the cons in my opinion.
When a name is everywhere, even a very beautiful name, it becomes boring. Not because the name is plain, but because it’s overused. People might like it, but they’ve heard it so much they just want to hear something fresher.
I think [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is lovely, it’s one of my favorite classic names. I’d rather meet an [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f], though.
And I have to disagree that it’s one of these names that never go out of style, sorry! I don’t think that it’ll ever become as dated as [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f], but look at the popularity graph. [name_f]Emily[/name_f] wasn’t as popular in the 60s as it is now. Names that truly never go out of style never left top 50 ([name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_u]James[/name_u]).
I actually like [name_f]Emily[/name_f] a lot though I might not use it myself bc of popularity. However, I would much more readily use [name_f]Emily[/name_f] than [name_f]Amelie[/name_f] or [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is a classic.
Never leaving the top 50 is an odd way of judging style. By that logic, solid classics such as [name_m]George[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f], [name_m]John[/name_m], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_m]Samuel[/name_m], [name_m]Edward[/name_m] and [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], among many others, could not be considered ‘classic’ or ‘never out of style’. I think there are many factors that contribute to making a name classic, not just constant popularity. So [name_f]Emily[/name_f] feels classic to me 
And I have to disagree with everyone that [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] is very dated. That seems to be a [name_u]North[/name_u] American thing only! 
I never said [name_f]Emily[/name_f] wasn’t a classic, because it definitely is. I don’t think “classic” and “never out of style” are the same things. There are only a few classics that are always there ([name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u] were the first that came to mind), “classic classics”, others get in and out of style. For example, [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is fashionable now, but wasn’t so in the 90s. [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] peaked in the 60s, but is out of fashion today. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are classic names, though.
[name_f]Polina[/name_f], I strongly disagree. [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is a true classic that will never go out of style. Maybe wherever you live it seems that way, so I am speaking for the US here.
This. I do like the name Emily but I would like it a lot more if it wasn’t used so much. I know there are a lot of people out there that don’t have a problem with this (that’s why it continues to be used so much). My own personal preferences tend to lean towards names that are not as common; I just find them more interesting.
Where I live it’s not used at all, I’m talking about the US, too.
Again, I never said it’ll ever become absolutely unfashionable like [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] is considered by many now, but I think it might drop in popularity like it already did some time ago. It might also stay at the top of popularity lists like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and never leave top 25 (actually, it’s got potential, because it’s been staying in the top 50 since the 70s). In that case I’ll start considering it “a name that never goes out of style”, but now I don’t.
Personally I divide classics on “classic classics” and classics that come and go. [name_f]Emily[/name_f] feels to be in the second category. It looks like some berries don’t agree with me, but this is how I see it (based on personal experience and what I learned while researching the name). I’m not trying to force my opinion, I’m absolutely fine with others having the opposite one.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] saying what I think.
I hear ya’ dramagrl. I wonder why [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is regarded as more of a [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] than a [name_u]Lindsey[/name_u]. Yes, it was too popular for too long, but I think after cooling off a bit, people will come to hear it as they do [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. It is not a name that is utterly of the moment like [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] – or [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f]. It is name that will be around as long as there are English baby namers on planet.
I do think that it needs to cool for a while, however.
I don’t have anything against [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. It is a nice enough name and it does have lots of history. But where I live, I know at least 10 Emilys that are my age, and several more that are younger. It gets boring after you hear it so many times. I guess it all depends on where you live and the namers in your area. I like [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f] much better since it has the same appeal, same sound, but is more unexpected.
To me, it just feels dated, like [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f], [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f], [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], [name_m]Justin[/name_m], [name_m]Brian[/name_m], [name_m]Eric[/name_m], etc. All of the [name_f]Emily[/name_f]'s I know are close to my age (mid-20’s) and I don’t see it on babies. Me not seeing it on babies makes it feel dated.
I dislike it because I graduated high school in 2008 with about 7 girls named [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. The year below me had at least four more. Went to college and met a few more people named [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. Last year when I coached cheerleading, there was 3 on the high school team, and two on the pee-wee team I coached. When you add in the [name_f]Emily[/name_f] count from books/TV/movies it just gets to be really…boring. Maybe I’m overexposed to the name.
I don’t hate it, it’s just boring. I know a lot of Emilys of every age. There are so many that it actually gets confusing, so they all end up being [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Lastname. It is a perfectly nice name, and if you love it, you should use it. It is popular for a reason. I don’t think it is dated, at least not in the US. [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] is dated here because almost all of the Jennifers are in their thirties and forties. [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is not because the Emilys range from 95 years to 5 months.
If you don’t love the way your last name sounds with it, then I would consider doing a double name so that your [name_f]Emily[/name_f] can be [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] or something (not suggesting those in particular, just something so she isn’t [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Lastname all of the time.)
I’ve realized that [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is a very pretty name, but I think for people who are about 14-25 years old (an age group that is well-represented on Nameberry) it probably comes across as overused. Sometimes I discuss names with my teenage sister, and she’s said that [name_f]Emily[/name_f], for her, is overused—she has just heard it too much. She has also said the same of [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] (I swear she had at least five friends and/or acquaintances named [name_f]Abigail[/name_f]/[name_u]Abby[/name_u] at one point).
That said, I do believe that names like [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Abigail[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], etc. generally age better than names like [name_f]Brittany[/name_f], [name_u]Courtney[/name_u], [name_f]Kayla[/name_f], etc. will. I also don’t get the hate for [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f]–I’ve known many [name_m]Jens[/name_m], but that hasn’t made me dislike the name. For me, [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f]/[name_f]Jen[/name_f] is like [name_m]Stephen[/name_m]/[name_m]Steve[/name_m] or [name_m]Christopher[/name_m]/[name_u]Chris[/name_u]: it surged in popularity at one point and might be associated with one or two generations, but it’s overall a likeable and accessible name.
It’s a pretty name (though it is a bit girly and cutesie - definitely not as much as many other names though!) and I completely understand why so many parents have chosen it. But, it is my personal preference for names that are much more uncommon because I enjoyed growing up not sharing my name with other people in my class. I was on a sports team of about 14 girls when I was younger and there were 4 Emilys! That was seriously confusing when calling out to people during games, you shouted ‘[name_f]Emily[/name_f]’ and half the team turned! I’ve just heard it so much that I think, oh another [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. It doesn’t mean it’s not a nice name, I just like a bit of variety!
I do agree that it is a classic though, and not dated. I am pretty sure it has been pretty popular for ages, I know Emilys from 70-something to under 10.
It was way too common, I knew about 5 [name_f]Emily[/name_f]'s growing up, so I get where people will say it’s boring/overused… It’s a nice name, which is why it’s used so often, so I think it’s a classic nice name, but yes it is “boring” because it’s common
I know I asked for opinions, but I am so sad seeing hate on the name that was so special to my mother! [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] is loaded with family meaning even though you may deem it “boring” or “overused”. :(
I don’t hate [name_f]Emily[/name_f], but I find it bland. ‘[name_f]Em[/name_f]’ makes me think of ‘auntie [name_f]Em[/name_f]’ from Wiz of [name_m]Oz[/name_m], ‘il’=ill, and ‘y’ is diminutive.
I’m sorry you feel that way! Try to think about it differently. Many people use [name_f]Emily[/name_f], which means they love it. I think it’s better to have a common/overused name that people generally like, than to have a unique name that everyone hates.