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Aubrey

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For other uses, see Aubrey (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Audrey.
Aubrey
GenderUnisex
LanguageEnglish, French, German
Origin
Meaningruler of elves (masculine),[1] elf council (feminine)[2]
Other names
Variant formsAubree, Aubrie, Awbery[3]

Aubrey (/ˈɔːbri/) is a unisex English name. It was common for men and women in the Middle Ages, but had lost favour for a time before experiencing a resurgence of popularity for men in the 19th century.[1][2]

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.[1][4][5] In 2023, Aubrey was the 101st most popular girls' name in the United States.[4]

Etymology

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Look up Aubrey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The medieval masculine name Aubrey is from the Norman French derivation Aubry of the Germanic given name Alberic / Old High German given name Alberich,[6] which consists of the elements alb 'elf' and ric 'power' or 'ruler',[1][7] Before being largely replaced by Aubrey after the Norman Conquest of England, the Anglo-Saxons used the native form Ælfrīc.[1]

The medieval feminine name "Aubrey" was independently derived from the Norman French derivation of the Germanic name Albreda, which consists of the elements alb 'elf' and radi 'council'; it had fallen out of use entirely by the 15th century.[2] The form Aubrée was common in Normandy pre-conquest.[8][9]

Notable people

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Surname

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Given name

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Pre-nineteenth century

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Nineteenth century

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Modern era

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Fictional characters

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See also

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Search for "aubrey" on Wikipedia.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford paperback reference. Oxford University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. OCLC 67869278. Retrieved 12 Oct 2023.
  2. ^ a b c E. G. Withycombe (1977). The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names (Third ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 10, 35. ISBN 978-0-19-281213-1. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  3. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Coates, Richard; McClure, Peter (2016). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Oxford University Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-19-252747-9.
  4. ^ a b "Popularity of a Name". Social Security Administration. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  5. ^ Campbell, Michael D. (2022-12-07). "Aubrey". Behind the Name: the Etymology and History of First Names. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  6. ^ Albert Dauzat (préface de Marie-Thérèse Morlet), Noms et prénoms de France, éditions Larousse 1980, p. 14b.
  7. ^ Harrison, Henry; Harrison, Gyda Pulling, eds. (1996) [1912]. Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-8063-0171-6.
  8. ^ Auguste Longnon (1929). Les noms de lieu de la France; leur origine, leur signification, leurs transformations (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Éditions Champion. p. 483. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  9. ^ François de Beaurepaire, ed. (1981). Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de l'Eure (in French). Paris: Éditions Picard. p. 123. ISBN 9782708400672. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
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