Avery

The name Avery dates back to the Middle Ages; it was essentially the Norman-French pronunciation of an ancient Anglo-Saxon masculine name Ælfræd (Alfred). Ælfræd was comprised of the Olde English elements “ælf” meaning “elf” (one with supernatural powers), and “ræd” meaning “to counsel”. Therefore, Avery essentially means “elf counsel” or “supernatural wisdom”. We should mention that elves are featured prominently in early Germanic/Nordic mythology as possessors of certain magical powers. The elf could use his supernatural powers to either benefit or hinder human progress depending on his mood (although the little devils evolved with more sinister powers in later folklore). Before the Norman-French conquered England in 1066, Ælfræd was a prominent Anglo-Saxon given name (and one of the few which would survive the Norman Conquest of 1066). When the Norman-French arrived in the 11th century, their pronunciation of Ælfræd sounded more like Avery. When surnames became necessary as a means of citizen identification for the purposes of taxation, Avery developed as a patronymic surname (i.e., one that passed from the father’s first name). We know that Avery dates back at least a couple hundred years as a masculine given name, but it recently came to be considered unisex. Not only that, Avery’s success as a female given name actually surpassed her male counterpart about 15 years ago. While Avery remains gender-neutral, and still readily used on baby boys, the name has become ϋber-trendy for American baby girls. Avery is the 9th most popular baby girl’s name in Canada and ranked #13 in the United States. By comparison, for boys, the name ranks #187 in the U.S. (based on 2012 data).