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At a glance

In short
Avery comes from an English surname meaning elf ruler or elf counsel.
U.S. rank 2025 (girls)
#37
Babies in 2025 (girls)
5,267 (0.30% of girls)
As a boy name
#291 in 2025 (1,156 babies)Peak #181 in 2017
Trend (girls)
Slipping #19 in 2020 to #37 in 2025
Peak (girls)
#12 in 2013
Top state (girls)
#15 in Mississippi
First recorded
1880 (as a boy name; 1890 as a girl name)

Meaning of Avery

Avery began as an English surname, taken from an Old English personal name. Most name dictionaries trace it to Ælfric, formed from ælf (“elf”) and rīce (“power, rule”), and gloss it as “elf ruler”; some instead connect it with Alfred, “elf counsel,” and the two explanations are often blended, so the meaning is best given as elf ruler or elf counsel. In English it is pronounced AY-vree.

The best-known American bearers are the actor Avery Brooks, remembered as Captain Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the basketball player and coach Avery Johnson. The name is given to both boys and girls in the United States.

As a first name Avery was uncommon for most of the twentieth century: in 1990 it went to 250 babies and ranked 802nd. It then climbed sharply, reaching 89th in 2003 and a peak of 12th in 2013, when 9,185 babies received it. It has eased since, standing at 37th in 2025 with 5,267 babies.

How to pronounce Avery

English

German

Popularity of Avery in the U.S.

Avery was the #37 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 5,267 babies. It peaked at #12 in 2013 and has been in the top 100 since 2003. As a boy name it was #291 in 2025, with 1,156 babies.

Bar and line chart: Avery in the U.S., 1890–2025. Bars: girls given the name each year, most 9,578 in 2014 and 5,267 in 2025. Line: rank among girl names, peak #12 in 2013, #37 in 2025.
  • Girls named Avery (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1890–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Girls year by year, 1890⁠–⁠2025 119 rows
Avery: babies and rank among girl names in the U.S. by year
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
20255,26737▼ 6
20245,65831▼ 2
20235,87929▼ 3
20226,25126▼ 7
20216,81519–
20206,74719▼ 1
20197,35018▼ 2
20188,09916▼ 2
20178,23714▲ 2
20168,77416–
20159,35616▼ 2
20149,57814▼ 2
20139,18512▲ 1
20128,31913▲ 5
20117,34618▲ 5
20106,67723▲ 9
20096,30132▲ 6
20085,82938▲ 10
20075,38648▲ 4
20065,25452▲ 15
20054,65467▲ 10
20044,04477▲ 12
20033,68789▲ 43
20022,589132▲ 20
20012,131152▲ 24
20001,831176▲ 30
19991,491206▲ 40
19981,242246▲ 66
1997937312▲ 174
1996492486▼ 21
1995542465▲ 19
1994518484▲ 45
1993453529▲ 14
1992433543▲ 105
1991339648▲ 154
1990250802▲ 158
1989181960▲ 68
19881571,028▲ 229
19871121,257▲ 47
19861021,304▲ 154
1985851,458▲ 175
1984671,633▼ 102
1983731,531▲ 122
1982691,653▲ 234
1981571,887▲ 209
1980492,096▼ 179
1979541,917▲ 352
1978402,269▼ 107
1977432,162▲ 130
1976362,292▲ 273
1975302,565▲ 118
1974272,683▲ 6
1973262,689▲ 214
1972232,903▲ 263
1971213,166▲ 269
1970183,435▼ 518
1969212,917▼ 43
1968202,874▲ 782
1967133,656▼ 390
1966153,266▲ 283
1965133,549▼ 441
1964173,108▲ 1,164
1963104,272▼ 1,458
1962192,814▲ 246
1961173,060▼ 548
1960232,512▲ 924
1959133,436▼ 1,176
1958252,260▲ 666
1957162,926▼ 201
1956182,725▼ 384
1955222,341▲ 678
1954143,019▲ 668
1953103,687▲ 1,221
195264,908▼ 897
195184,011▼ 1,575
1950172,436▲ 1,176
194993,612▼ 638
1948122,974▲ 732
194793,706▲ 711
194664,417▼ 1,959
1945132,458▲ 920
194483,378▼ 1,478
1943211,900▲ 637
1942132,537▲ 131
1941112,668▲ 69
1940102,737▲ 408
193983,145▼ 205
193892,940back (not recorded in 1937)
1936142,153▲ 578
1935102,731▼ 164
1934112,567▲ 301
193392,868back (not recorded in 1932)
1931112,581▲ 1,077
193073,658▼ 1,357
1929142,301▼ 17
1928152,284▲ 149
1927142,433▼ 501
1926201,932▲ 846
1925122,778▲ 31
1924122,809▼ 344
1923142,465▼ 78
1922152,387▼ 339
1921192,048▲ 215
1920162,263▼ 408
1919201,855▲ 174
1918182,029▲ 1,063
191793,092▼ 594
1916122,498back (not recorded in 1915)
191472,876▼ 545
191382,331▼ 350
191291,981back (not recorded in 1911)
1910101,521▲ 242
190971,763▲ 338
190852,101▼ 280
190761,821back (not recorded in 1904–1906)
190361,592▼ 154
190271,438back (not recorded in 1901)
190061,723back (not recorded in 1891–1899)
189061,210new

Boys year by year, 1880⁠–⁠2025 146 rows
Avery: babies and rank among boy names in the U.S. by year
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
20251,156291▼ 32
20241,353259▼ 18
20231,462241▼ 20
20221,663221▼ 11
20211,808210▲ 1
20201,794211▼ 7
20191,934204▼ 14
20182,117190▼ 9
20172,200181▲ 7
20162,125188–
20152,218188▼ 2
20142,283186▲ 10
20132,052196▼ 9
20122,019187▲ 14
20111,792201▲ 10
20101,697211▲ 12
20091,633223▼ 7
20081,748216▲ 5
20071,742221▼ 10
20061,794211▲ 4
20051,662215▲ 10
20041,523225▼ 6
20031,596219▲ 26
20021,387245▼ 3
20011,401242▲ 3
20001,370245▼ 9
19991,368236▲ 11
19981,237247▲ 3
19971,173250▲ 1
19961,180251▼ 10
19951,195241▲ 18
19941,117259▲ 38
1993933297▲ 165
1992469462▲ 32
1991400494▼ 2
1990387492▼ 56
1989469436▲ 48
1988362484▼ 25
1987376459▲ 72
1986279531▲ 15
1985259546▲ 38
1984209584▼ 45
1983243539▲ 47
1982217586▼ 30
1981235556▲ 14
1980229570▲ 23
1979207593▼ 34
1978224559▲ 29
1977205588▼ 62
1976235526▲ 18
1975218544▲ 56
1974178600▼ 48
1973204552▲ 55
1972169607▲ 38
1971162645▼ 24
1970171621▲ 23
1969151644▼ 32
1968155612▼ 48
1967177564▼ 10
1966192554▼ 17
1965206537▲ 44
1964185581▲ 7
1963180588▼ 17
1962188571▲ 12
1961184583▼ 16
1960189567▼ 2
1959191565▲ 26
1958171591▲ 20
1957158611▲ 29
1956140640▼ 8
1955138632▲ 19
1954125651▲ 93
195392744▲ 2
195289746▲ 39
195180785▼ 24
195081761▲ 144
194958905▼ 131
194877774▼ 59
194792715▲ 38
194677753▼ 77
194579676▲ 98
194465774▼ 34
194376740▼ 35
194282705▲ 28
194171733▼ 80
194085653▲ 158
193956811▼ 139
193880672▲ 70
193767742▲ 5
193665747▲ 24
193564771▼ 165
193495606–
193392606▲ 26
193289632▲ 65
193175697▼ 98
1930103599–
1929102599▲ 37
192895636▼ 35
1927107601▲ 30
192699631▼ 3
1925101628▼ 51
1924123577▲ 23
1923111600▼ 49
1922131551▲ 19
1921123570▲ 17
1920113587▼ 23
1919112564▼ 12
1918118552▼ 8
1917115544▲ 11
1916106555▼ 62
1915125493▲ 19
191491512▲ 19
191366531▼ 16
191258515▲ 152
191122667▼ 33
191021634▲ 19
190917653▼ 131
190823522▲ 94
190717616▼ 48
190617568▼ 91
190522477▲ 38
190418515▲ 104
190313619▼ 112
190218507▼ 74
190119433▲ 310
190012743▼ 286
189917457▲ 86
189815543▼ 132
189721411▲ 27
189620438▼ 1
189520437▲ 27
189418464▼ 45
189319419▲ 39
189218458▲ 177
18919635▼ 201
189017434▲ 239
18899673▼ 119
188813554▼ 93
188714461▲ 384
18866845▼ 298
188512547▼ 79
188416468▲ 11
188314479▲ 10
188214489▼ 165
188125324▲ 316
18809640–

Avery by state

Avery ranks #15 in Mississippi (2025).

Map: Avery's 2025 rank among girl names in each U.S. state
Rank among girl names by state, 2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Rank by state 50 states and DC

Notable people named Avery

  • Avery Bradley Jr. is a former NBA guard and two-time All-Defensive honoree, a 2010 Boston Celtics first round pick from Texas who now serves as the Utah Jazz vice president of player development.
  • Avery Brooks is a retired American actor, director, singer, and educator best known as Captain Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek Deep Space Nine and as Hawk in Spenser for Hire, acclaimed for American History X and honored with NAACP Image Award nominations.
  • Avery DeWitt Johnson is an American basketball TV commentator, former NBA player and coach, former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach, and a CBS Sports analyst for NBA and college basketball.
  • Avery Robert Dulles was an American Jesuit priest, theologian, and cardinal who taught at Woodstock College, the Catholic University of America, and Fordham University, and was a noted author and lecturer.
  • Avery Odelle Craven was an American historian of 19th century America, especially the Civil War and Reconstruction, known for a revisionist stance sympathetic to the Lost Cause and critical of democratic failings in his era.
More people named Avery 10 more
  • Avery A. Williams Sr. is an American former football player who played at Temple, signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, and later competed in the CFL for the Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes.
  • American artist Avery Singer creates digitally assisted paintings using 3D modeling software and computer controlled airbrushing.
  • Canadian tabletop roleplaying designer Avery Alder explores LGBTQ self discovery and community in post apocalyptic worlds, co created the Belonging Outside Belonging system, and has influenced game design and scholarship.
  • American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger James Avery Parrish wrote and recorded After Hours before injuries from a 1943 bar fight ended his piano career.
  • Avery A. Skinner is an American outside hitter for the US womens national volleyball team and Italian Serie A1 club Chieri.
  • Avery Blake Sr., an American lacrosse player and coach, was head lacrosse coach at Swarthmore College from 1931 to 1959, served as president of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1961, and was the father of fellow Hall of Famer Avery Blake Jr.
  • Avery Gilbert is known as a smell scientist and sensory psychologist.
  • Avery Skinner was an American politician from New York.
  • Avery Edwin Field was a commercial and portrait photographer in Riverside, California, noted for his extensive work with the Mission Inn.
  • Avery Garrett was a Washington state politician who served as Renton mayor from 1969 to 1976, in the state House from 1959 to 1969 and 1977 to 1985, and in the state Senate from 1985 to 1988.