Unisex · #34 in 2026

Avery

Avery is traditionally a male given name ultimately derived from the Old English name Ælfred, which is formed from the elements ælf 'elf' and ræd 'counsel', and literally translates to 'elf-counsel'.

  • English
Current Rank
#34
Peak Rank
#12 (2014)
Total Babies
176K
5-Yr Trend
-23%
👧 Girl peak #12 (176K total)
👦 Boy peak #181 (68K total)
👧As Girl Name
1890
First Year
2026
Last Year
2014
Peak Year
#12
Peak Rank
176K
Total Count
120
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2014
Peak Year
#181
Peak Rank
68K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Avery

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Avery is traditionally a male given name ultimately derived from the Old English name Ælfred, which is formed from the elements ælf 'elf' and ræd 'counsel', and literally translates to 'elf-counsel'.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Avery

As a girl name

The earliest SSA record of Avery as a girl name dates back to 1890, when 6 babies received it. 2014 was its biggest year on record, with 9,578 newborns named Avery — #14 in the national rankings. About 47% of every Avery on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Avery ranks #34 for girls with 5,372 births, falling sharply (-23%). All told, over 176K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

American parents first put Avery on the record books as a boy name in 1880, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 2,283 Averys were born — ranking #186 that year. About 30% of every Avery on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Avery ranks #272 for boys with 1,262 births, falling sharply (-28%). All told, over 68K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Avery

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Avery. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Avery

Phonetically similar names — useful when Avery is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Avery

What does the name Avery mean?
Avery is traditionally a male given name ultimately derived from the Old English name Ælfred, which is formed from the elements ælf 'elf' and ræd 'counsel', and literally translates to 'elf-counsel'.
What is the origin of the name Avery?
Avery has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Avery in 2026?
In 2026, Avery ranks #34 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5,372 babies given the name that year.
When was Avery most popular?
Avery reached its peak popularity in 2014, ranking #12 that year with 9,578 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Avery most popular?
Avery has historically been most popular in Vermont, Wyoming, Minnesota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Avery.
Is Avery a unisex name?
Yes — Avery is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 72% of Averys assigned female and 28% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Avery?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Avery include Ella, Christina, Jean. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Avery?
Common variants and related forms of Avery include Averi, Averie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Avery

Avery is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1890 and has accumulated 176K births in the dataset. Avery's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #12. Use the chart and map above to compare Avery's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.