Avery

Meaning

an Anglo-Norman remaking of Alfred, "elf counsel," the wise counsel of the old stories; centuries as a surname, then a first name again, unisex since the 1990s and now led by girls. Soft sound, surprisingly deep roots

The story

Avery began in medieval England as a surname, born from Norman French pronunciations of an older Germanic name traditionally read as ruler of the elves. For centuries it lived mostly as a family name, crossing the Atlantic with English settlers and appearing here and there in American records without ever making much noise. Its second life is thoroughly modern. As surname names came into fashion, Avery began climbing in the 1990s, and it did something rarer still: it crossed freely between sons and daughters, becoming one of the country's most genuinely unisex names, now given more often to girls but familiar on both sides. The 2010s marked its strongest decade, a remarkable turn for a name that waited the better part of a millennium for its moment.

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Popularity, 1890–2024

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Avery peaked in the 2010s.

When you meet Avery

Most people given the name Avery in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Avery

Everly Gentry Addison Emery Wesley Ellery

The Avery deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Avery truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Avery fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

Keep exploring

Names like Avery · Middle names for Avery · Gender-neutral names

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