Unisex name · Old English
Avery
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: elf counselAvery is a gender-neutral name that comes from Old English and means "elf counsel". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Elf counsel
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #37 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Avery
As a gender-neutral name, Avery comes from Old English and means "elf counsel". It is used in English.
Avery is also a surname: the 921st most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 37,354 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Avery on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Avery on 2 lists.
“Sounds like aviary, a home for birds”
From Bird names, human names that are also birds
“Elf ruler or elf counsel; Germanic, via a Norman French surname”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
How popular is Avery?
In 2025, 5,267 girls and 1,156 boys in the US were named Avery.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #37
- 5,267 babies, 3,277 per million girls
- Best rank
- #12 in 2013
- Most babies: 9,578 in 2014
- Babies since 1890
- At least 170,006
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 3 per million |
| 1900s | 13 per million |
| 1910s | 11 per million |
| 1920s | 13 per million |
| 1930s | 7 per million |
| 1940s | 8 per million |
| 1950s | 8 per million |
| 1960s | 9 per million |
| 1970s | 21 per million |
| 1980s | 55 per million |
| 1990s | 372 per million |
| 2000s | 2,257 per million |
| 2010s | 4,738 per million |
| 2020s | 3,763 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16 | #14 | #16 | #18 | #19 | #19 | #26 | #29 | #31 | #37 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #291
- 1,156 babies, 677 per million boys
- Best rank
- #181 in 2017
- Most babies: 2,283 in 2014
- Babies since 1880
- At least 66,880
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 121 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 153 per million |
| 1900s | 130 per million |
| 1910s | 125 per million |
| 1920s | 100 per million |
| 1930s | 74 per million |
| 1940s | 51 per million |
| 1950s | 63 per million |
| 1960s | 94 per million |
| 1970s | 119 per million |
| 1980s | 156 per million |
| 1990s | 486 per million |
| 2000s | 794 per million |
| 2010s | 1,087 per million |
| 2020s | 891 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #188 | #181 | #190 | #204 | #211 | #210 | #221 | #241 | #259 | #291 |
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 Avery
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Avery
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AvraBreeze (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- KonradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- ConradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- RadegundCounsel and war (Germanic, girl)
- RaghnallCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RamiroFamous counsel (Germanic, boy)
- RamonaCounsel protector (Germanic, girl)
- RaymondCounsel protector (Germanic, boy)
- RonaldCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- TancredThought and counsel (Germanic, boy)
- ÆlfflædElf beauty (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfgifuElf gift (Old English, girl)
- AelfricElf ruler (Old English, boy)
- ÆlfricElf ruler (Old English, boy)
- ÆlfthrythElf strength (Old English, girl)
Middle names for Avery
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
- OswaldPower of a god (Old English, boy)
- ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
- RutherfordCattle ford (Old English, boy)
- StewartSteward (Old English, boy)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
- ÆlfwynnElf joy (Old English, girl)
Avery: common questions
What does the name Avery mean?
Avery comes from Old English and means "elf counsel".
Is Avery a boy or girl name?
Avery is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 5,267 girls and 1,156 boys in the US were named Avery, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Avery come from?
Avery comes from Old English and means "elf counsel". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Avery?
Avery ranked #37 in the US in 2025, with 5,267 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Avery?
Forms of Avery with the same meaning and origin include Alfie (English), Alfred (English) and Alfredo (Italian).
What middle names go with Avery?
Middle names that flow well with Avery include Bartholomew, Colette, Elise, Frederick and Grayson. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.