Why was the name [name_f]Emily[/name_f] favoured by parents so much in the 2000s? I know so many Emily’s it’s actually kind of annoying! I always wonder how names become so popular at a certain time Like for example [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is the name that defines the 2000s generation. Like other names through history [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] , [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]. Does anyone know why the name [name_f]Emily[/name_f] was so loved at that time?
You might be interested in reading Abby’s write-up on this name, where she does a deep dive into the name’s origin and its rise in popularity overtime:
Emily: Baby Name of the Day - Appellation Mountain
True, you might say Emily has been rather overused, but I think we can understand why it appealed to, and still appeals to, so many people. It’s classic and has a gentle, feminine sound, without being too cutesy or girly. It’s strong, too, with a number of great namesakes, both current and historical. I think it’s a great choice, even if it does seem like every other girl of my generation is named Emily. It’s more timeless than Jennifer and Jessica, imho, and so I think that could be why it has endured steadily. After all, it has been in the Top 300 since stats began being kept in the US in 1880, and we know it was used consistently for a long time prior to that as well. It’s lowest ranking was #273, and that was in the '60s. It’s been in the Top 100 since 1973, and it doesn’t seem like it will be leaving any time soon, even as it slowly declines in popularity, making way for similar-sounding names like Emma and Everly. 
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Definitely popular but also a classic in my opinion! [name_f]Emily[/name_f] could be a grandmother or a baby. It’s a bit similar to [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] or [name_f]Laura[/name_f] I think.
Other more poplar names at the time like [name_f]Brittany[/name_f], [name_f]Jessica[/name_f], [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] seem more connected to just a certain time period.
Interesting to think about why certain names become more popular than others!
I remember in the late 80s, probably 6th grade-ish, I read the [name_f]Emily[/name_f] of [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_f]Moon[/name_f] books by L.M. [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u] (same lady who wrote [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables). I fell in love with the name [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. I wished I could change my own name to [name_f]Emily[/name_f]! I would even sometimes write [name_f]Emily[/name_f] on school papers that were just for scratch work or not to turn in (although other times I would use [name_f]Laura[/name_f] instead, my favorite name before I found Emily). All of my friends thought it was such a weird old lady name, while I thought it was beautiful. Fast-forward a couple years to 9th grade and I meet a new friend with a little sister named [name_f]Hannah[/name_f]. Wow! Another beautiful name, and every one of my fiends says it’s such an old lady name. But look what both of those names did over that next decade.
Although to flip side the story, I remember a few friends in high school telling me how much they loved the name [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], and wanted to use it for their son when they grew up, and I thought it was a weird old-fashioned name. It was the early 90s, and my boy name list had lots of Jason-Kevin-Matt-Chris-style names LOL.
[name_f]Emily[/name_f] is a traditional classic vintage name. Those names always come back in style eventually 
This is just my own opinion that I have seen as a common trend amongst other names as well, like [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_u]Oliver[/name_u], [name_u]Hazel[/name_u], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], etc. 
I guess some names just go through phases of being super popular, it’s a bit like [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] now. You can’t cross a street without hearing someone shout [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]! Names just come in and out of fashion and in the 00s [name_f]Emily[/name_f] was considered to be in that sweet spot when it came to naming, an update to [name_f]Emma[/name_f], therefore feeling classic but modern, with a pretty sound to it, and familiar so also one of those safe, can’t go wrong kind of names. I think we forget as namenerds that actually for a lot of people, picking a name in the top 10 is a good thing! It sort of validates their choice I think 