Aubrey

Where Aubrey comes from

From Middle English Aubrey, Aubry, from Norman Auberi, Alberi, from Latin Alberīcus, Latinized form of Old High German Alberich, from Proto-Germanic *Albirīks, from *albiz (“elf, fairy”) + *rīks (“king, ruler”). Possibly influenced by Gaulish Albiorīx (literally "ruler of the world"). Cognates include German Alberich and Italian Alberico.
— Wiktionary's entry for Aubrey
  • Germanic
  • 2 syllables
  • Vowel-ended
Aubrey through the years
  1. 1872
    Aubrey Beardsley born
    British illustrator and author
  2. 1889
    First appearance
    #1,279 among girls with 5 babies, the first year at least five got the name.
  3. 1973
    Around this time: Aubrey by Bread
    Song, 1973 · Source
    “In the United States, following the 1973 release of the song "Aubrey" by the band Bread, the name began increasing in popularity as a given name for girls, potentially influenced by its similarity to Audrey.”
  4. 1974
    Mostly girls from here
    Until now more boys than girls got the name. From this year on, more girls have.
  5. 1984
    Aubrey Plaza born
    American actress, producer and comedian
  6. 2012
    Peak, #15
    8,061 babies named Aubrey, the most in any year.
In the dictionary
  • An English patronymic surname.
  • A male given name from the Germanic languages or transferred from the surname.
  • A female given name transferred from the surname, of 1970s and later American usage.
Namesakes
  • Aubrey Plaza · American actress, producer and comedian, born 1984
  • Aubrey Beardsley · British illustrator and author, 1872–1898
  • Aubrey de Grey · British writer and biomedical gerontologist, born 1963

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record. Events show what happened around then, not why parents chose the name. Quotes are from the linked Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).