English feminine form of Aemilius (see Emil). In the English-speaking world it was not common until after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century; the princess Amelia Sophia (1711-1786) was commonly known as Emily in English, even though Amelia is an unrelated name.
Famous bearers include the British author Emily Brontë (1818-1848), who wrote 'Wuthering Heights', and the American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).