Aubrey

Aubrey
GenderUnisex
LanguageFrench
Origin
Meaningruler of elves (masculine), elf council (feminine)
Other names
Variant formsAubree, Aubrie, Aubery

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

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. In 2023, Aubrey was the 101st most popular girls' name in the United States.

Etymology

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

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. The form Aubrée was common in Normandy before the Conquest.

Notable people

Surname

Given name

Pre-nineteenth century

Nineteenth century

Modern era

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 "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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