Emi

Q: What does Emi mean?

Emi is a girls' name of Japanese origin, Japanese name; also a short form of Emily or Emilia. As a Japanese name its meaning depends on the characters chosen, often combining ones for blessing and beauty.

Gender: Girl
Say it: EM-ee
Origin: Japanese
UK rank, 2025: #1,135 for girls
US rank, 2025: #881 for girls

Emi is a girls' name of Japanese origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,135th for girls in the UK (31 babies) and 881st for girls in the US (303 babies).

What does Emi mean?

Japanese: Japanese name; also a short form of Emily or Emilia

As a Japanese name its meaning depends on the characters chosen, often combining ones for blessing and beauty.

Is Emi a girl's or a boy's name?

Emi is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 31 girls in the UK and 303 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Emi in the UK?

Rank in 2025: #1,135among girls
Babies in 2025: 31about 1 in 9,000 girls
Five-year trend: Risingup 41% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 31 girls in the UK were named Emi, making it the 1,135th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,864th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 31 girls.

Half of all the girls named Emi in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 543 girls in the UK were given Emi or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #113, up from #1,135 for this spelling alone.

Emmie 295
Emmy 132
Emie 39
Emi 31
Emmi 24
Emme 15
Emy 7

Among girls in 2025, it was 1,197th in England and Wales and 632nd in Scotland.

1997Busiest: 31 in 20242025

Emi in the UK, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	31	#1,135
2024	31	#1,143
2023	24	#1,399
2022	21	#1,527
2021	27	#1,295
2020	16	#1,864
2019	21	#1,531
2018	24	#1,420
2017	22	#1,541
2016	24	#1,452
2015	22	#1,527
2014	18	#1,722
2013	20	#1,617
2012	23	#1,474
2011	17	#1,755
2010	17	#1,757
2009	17	#1,691
2008	18	#1,620
2007	17	#1,614
2006	10	#2,263
2005	17	#1,451
2004	14	#1,634
2003	11	#1,831
2002	5	#3,047
2001	8	#2,150
2000	6	#2,554
1999	10	#1,770
1998	6	#2,535
1997	4	#3,345

How popular is Emi in the US?

Rank in 2025: #881among girls
Babies in 2025: 303about 1 in 5,300 girls
Five-year trend: Risingup 60% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 303 girls in the US were named Emi, making it the 881st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,357th. It first appears in the records in 1916.

It has been given to more girls each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had the most girls named Emi of any year since it first appeared, in 1916.

Half of all the girls named Emi in the US since 1880 were born between 2004 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 1,688 girls in the US were given Emi or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #213, up from #881 for this spelling alone.

Emmy 695
Emmie 407
Emi 303
Emmi 124
Emme 80
Emy 63
Emie 16

1916Busiest: 303 in 20252025

Emi in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	303	#881
2024	260	#995
2023	213	#1,137
2022	202	#1,190
2021	175	#1,293
2020	161	#1,357
2019	166	#1,357
2018	158	#1,413
2017	120	#1,752
2016	174	#1,358
2015	168	#1,396
2014	200	#1,221
2013	135	#1,587
2012	156	#1,457
2011	135	#1,598
2010	111	#1,830
2009	109	#1,914
2008	73	#2,557
2007	91	#2,177
2006	71	#2,555
2005	63	#2,666
2004	59	#2,738
2003	86	#2,060
2002	45	#3,142
2001	53	#2,762
2000	56	#2,628
1999	43	#3,045
1998	37	#3,298
1997	33	#3,445
1996	29	#3,718
1995	20	#4,841
1994	18	#5,244
1993	25	#4,095
1992	24	#4,229
1991	31	#3,437
1990	19	#4,863
1989	30	#3,396
1988	22	#4,010
1987	21	#3,980
1986	21	#3,888
1985	19	#4,125
1984	23	#3,526
1983	25	#3,241
1982	26	#3,259
1981	31	#2,847
1980	39	#2,440
1979	13	#5,091
1978	14	#4,679
1977	14	#4,651
1976	16	#3,961
1975	15	#4,139
1974	13	#4,458
1973	18	#3,480
1972	21	#3,062
1971	9	#5,541
1970	8	#5,817
1969	0	–
1968	10	#4,488
1967	8	#4,981
1966	5	#6,563
1965	10	#4,201
1964	8	#5,007
1963	0	–
1962	7	#5,292
1961	0	–
1960	0	–
1959	0	–
1958	8	#4,519
1957	0	–
1956	0	–
1955	0	–
1954	6	#5,146
1953	0	–
1952	0	–
1951	0	–
1950	5	#5,299
1949	0	–
1948	0	–
1947	0	–
1946	0	–
1945	0	–
1944	5	#4,572
1943	0	–
1942	0	–
1941	0	–
1940	5	#4,347
1939	0	–
1938	0	–
1937	5	#4,253
1936	0	–
1935	0	–
1934	0	–
1933	5	#4,216
1932	0	–
1931	0	–
1930	0	–
1929	0	–
1928	0	–
1927	8	#3,559
1926	7	#3,872
1925	9	#3,361
1924	8	#3,663
1923	0	–
1922	0	–
1921	0	–
1920	5	#4,973
1919	5	#4,812
1918	5	#4,807
1917	0	–
1916	6	#3,917

Names like Emi

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Remi Oluwadarasimi Oluwanifemi Chisimdi Zuri Tiaraoluwa Kamsiyochukwu Zinachimdi Chisom Oluwatamilore Ireoluwa Demi

Other spellings of Emi

Emmie Emmy Emie Emmi Emme Emy

Names related to Emi

Eymi Emiya Emiah

More Japanese names

Kobe Kaizen Raiden Ren Akari Kenzo Ronin Kyomi Akira Yuna Kiyomi Kairi Miya Kenji Reo Jiraiya

Every Japanese name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Emi: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/emi, updated 20 October 2026.