Avery is traditionally a male
given name ultimately derived from the
Old English name
Ælfred (Old English form of
Alfred),[1] which is formed from the elements
ælf 'elf' and
ræd 'counsel', and literally translating to 'elf-counsel'.[2]
Beginning in the late 20th century, Avery began to also be used as a female given name and sometimes appears with the feminine alternative spellings Averie/Averi.[3][4]
Regional popularity
North America
The name is now a much more popular given name for girls than for boys in the
United States and
Canada. In the U.S. in 2021, it ranked 19th in popularity for girls, and 221st for boys.[5] The same year in Canada, it ranked 33rd for girls and 159th for boys.[6] In one study of babies born in the State of
Pennsylvania between 1990 and 2010, more girls were named Avery than boys in each year studied.[7]
Great Britain
In
England and
Wales, Avery is less popular over all and is used as both a masculine and feminine name with similar frequency, though still slightly more for girls. In 2021, it ranked 355th for girls and 433 for boys.[8]
Alternative etymology
It has also been suggested that it could possibly be a derivation of the
Germanic name
Alberich which, if true, would make it a
doublet of
Aubrey.[9]
Notable people with the name
As a male name
Avery Caesar Alexander (1910–1999), American civil rights leader and Louisiana politician
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.
Avery is traditionally a male
given name ultimately derived from the
Old English name
Ælfred (Old English form of
Alfred),[1] which is formed from the elements
ælf 'elf' and
ræd 'counsel', and literally translating to 'elf-counsel'.[2]
Beginning in the late 20th century, Avery began to also be used as a female given name and sometimes appears with the feminine alternative spellings Averie/Averi.[3][4]
Regional popularity
North America
The name is now a much more popular given name for girls than for boys in the
United States and
Canada. In the U.S. in 2021, it ranked 19th in popularity for girls, and 221st for boys.[5] The same year in Canada, it ranked 33rd for girls and 159th for boys.[6] In one study of babies born in the State of
Pennsylvania between 1990 and 2010, more girls were named Avery than boys in each year studied.[7]
Great Britain
In
England and
Wales, Avery is less popular over all and is used as both a masculine and feminine name with similar frequency, though still slightly more for girls. In 2021, it ranked 355th for girls and 433 for boys.[8]
Alternative etymology
It has also been suggested that it could possibly be a derivation of the
Germanic name
Alberich which, if true, would make it a
doublet of
Aubrey.[9]
Notable people with the name
As a male name
Avery Caesar Alexander (1910–1999), American civil rights leader and Louisiana politician
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.