Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name 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 especially for the baby girls in North America. 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).

All About the Baby Name – Avery

Personality

OF THE UNISEX NAME AVERY

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE UNISEX NAME AVERY

Avery is a unisex name, although it’s currently far more popular for baby girls than for baby boys (in fact, four times more popular). As a masculine given name, Avery dates back to 1880 on the U.S. charts (which is as far back as the government has been tracking name data through the social security department). So Avery has enjoyed status as a baby boy’s name for over 130 years. It wasn’t until 1989 when the name show up on the female naming charts. It took the female version of Avery only 10 years to overtake the male version on the popularity charts, and only 15 years to secure a Top 100 position. But the feminine Avery didn’t stop there. She continues to climb the charts and is now the 13th most favored baby girl’s name nationwide. That’s quite a feat! Suffice it to say that Avery is a trendy female name in America right now. For boys, the name is also trending upwards, just to a much lesser extent. In other words, Avery is an all round successful unisex name – doing well for both genders. This little elf does indeed carry certain magical powers!

Quick Facts

ON AVERY

GENDER:

Unisex

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

A-vər-ee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Elf counsel (supernatural wisdom)

Characteristics

OF AVERY

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Avery

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME AVERY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Avery

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME AVERY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Avery


Popular Songs

ON AVERY

Dear Avery
a song by The Decemberists

Famous People

NAMED AVERY

Avery Brooks (actor)
Avery Johnson (basketball player)
Avery Dulles (American Catholic Cardinal)
Avery Brundage (former President of the Olympics)
Avery Schreiber (comic)
Avery Brooks (actor)
Avery Johnson (basketball player)
Avery Dulles (American Catholic Cardinal)
Avery Brundage (former President of the Olympics)
Avery Schreiber (comic)
Avery Brooks (actor)
Avery Johnson (basketball player)
Avery Dulles (American Catholic Cardinal)
Avery Brundage (former President of the Olympics)
Avery Schreiber (comic)

Children of Famous People

NAMED AVERY

Angie Harmon;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME AVERY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Avery