Unisex name · Germanic
Aubrey
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: elf rulerAubrey is a gender-neutral name that comes from Germanic and means "elf ruler". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Elf ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #146 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Aubrey
As a gender-neutral name, Aubrey comes from Germanic and means "elf ruler". It is used in English and French.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Aubrey on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Aubrey on 2 lists.
“Elf ruler; the Norman French form of Alberich, now mostly a girls' name in the US”
From Elf names, real names that mean elf
“Elf ruler; Germanic via Norman French, once mostly male”
From Gender neutral names, classic and vintage unisex names
How popular is Aubrey?
In 2025, 2,003 girls and 70 boys in the US were named Aubrey.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #146
- 2,003 babies, 1,246 per million girls
- Best rank
- #15 in 2012
- 8,061 babies that year
- Babies since 1889
- At least 133,515
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 4 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 9 per million |
| 1900s | 25 per million |
| 1910s | 22 per million |
| 1920s | 23 per million |
| 1930s | 16 per million |
| 1940s | 8 per million |
| 1950s | 5 per million |
| 1960s | 6 per million |
| 1970s | 133 per million |
| 1980s | 396 per million |
| 1990s | 606 per million |
| 2000s | 1,599 per million |
| 2010s | 3,767 per million |
| 2020s | 1,771 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25 | #31 | #37 | #46 | #56 | #64 | #81 | #101 | #132 | #146 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #2,093
- 70 babies, 41 per million boys
- Best rank
- #224 in 1912
- Most babies: 498 in 1926
- Babies since 1880
- At least 31,090
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 162 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 322 per million |
| 1900s | 466 per million |
| 1910s | 464 per million |
| 1920s | 409 per million |
| 1930s | 357 per million |
| 1940s | 227 per million |
| 1950s | 167 per million |
| 1960s | 118 per million |
| 1970s | 112 per million |
| 1980s | 108 per million |
| 1990s | 103 per million |
| 2000s | 76 per million |
| 2010s | 76 per million |
| 2020s | 71 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,356 | #1,301 | #1,202 | #1,265 | #1,271 | #1,226 | #1,379 | #1,385 | #1,752 | #2,093 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Aubrey
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AlberichElf ruler (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Aubrey
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- AmbreAmber, golden fossil resin (Arabic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- DerekRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DirkRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DonalWorld ruler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- EricaEver ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- ErikaEternal ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- EuricEternal ruler (Gothic, boy)
- FedericoPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Aubrey
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
Aubrey: common questions
What does the name Aubrey mean?
Aubrey comes from Germanic and means "elf ruler".
Is Aubrey a boy or girl name?
Aubrey is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 2,003 girls and 70 boys in the US were named Aubrey, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Aubrey come from?
Aubrey comes from Germanic and means "elf ruler". Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Aubrey?
Aubrey ranked #146 in the US in 2025, with 2,003 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Aubrey?
Forms of Aubrey with the same meaning and origin include Alberich (German).
What middle names go with Aubrey?
Middle names that flow well with Aubrey include Dawn, Eli, Finn, Hope and John. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.