girl's name · in the US
Aubrey
AW-bree (English)
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 173,454
the United States
#146
2025 births
Aubrey is a name of Germanic origin meaning "elf ruler." It comes from Alberich, combining alf, elf, with ric, power — and it was a boys' name for eight centuries before becoming predominantly female.
- Aubrey is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 2012, when 8,213 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,599 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Aubrey started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Aubrey Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 183 |
| 1890s | 386 |
| 1900s | 707 |
| 1910s | 3,273 |
| 1920s | 4,779 |
| 1930s | 3,947 |
| 1940s | 3,484 |
| 1950s | 3,462 |
| 1960s | 2,386 |
| 1970s | 3,897 |
| 1980s | 8,802 |
| 1990s | 12,910 |
| 2000s | 31,053 |
| 2010s | 67,367 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 17,969 |
What Aubrey Means
Aubrey means ruler of elves, or elf power. Anglo-Saxon and Germanic cultures treated elves as formidable supernatural beings, so the name claims authority over them rather than kinship with them.
Where Aubrey Comes From
Aubrey descends from the Germanic Alberich — alf, elf, and ric, ruler or power — through the Norman French Auberi. Alberich is the dwarf king who holds the Rhinegold in the Nibelung legend, and the source of Wagner's Alberich. The Normans brought the name to England, where it was steadily male; Aubrey Beardsley, the illustrator who died in 1898, is a well-known male bearer. Its shift to female use is twentieth-century and American, and birth records record the flip.
Aubrey in Use
Birth records record Aubrey for both sexes and shows it falling, peaking in 2012, and it first appears in birth records in 1880. It is one of our 336 detected gender flips — a name that began overwhelmingly male and is now given almost entirely to girls, alongside Ashley, Kelly, Taylor and Madison.
How Popular Is Aubrey?
In 2025, Aubrey was given to 2,073 babies in the United States, ranking #146 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Aubrey Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Aubrey
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Aubrey Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Aubrey over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Aubrey is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Girls' 97% girls · 40,839 babies
- Canada Girls' 94% girls · 3,096 babies
- England & Wales Both 81% girls · 2,586 babies
- Scotland Both 86% girls · 103 babies
- Ireland Girls' 100% girls · 57 babies
How to Say Aubrey
- English AW-bree /ˈɔːbri/
1 nickname for Aubrey
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Aubrey in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Aubrey
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Aubrey — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Aubrey
What does the name Aubrey mean?
Aubrey means "elf ruler," from the Germanic alf, elf, and ric, power.
Was Aubrey originally a boy's name?
Yes, for around eight centuries. It is recorded as one of 336 detected gender flips, now given almost entirely to girls.
Is Aubrey related to Alberich?
Yes — Alberich is the same Germanic name, and the dwarf king who holds the Rhinegold in the Nibelung legend.
How popular is the name Aubrey?
In 2025, Aubrey was given to 2,073 babies in the United States, ranking #146 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Aubrey?
Aubrey has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Aubrey?
Aubrey is usually shortened to Bree.
Is Aubrey a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Aubrey currently ranks #146 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.