Emilee

Emilee is a cutesy, informal spelling of Emily. Emily comes from the Latin name “Aemilia” which is the feminine version of the Old Roman family name, “Aemilius” (from the Latin “aemulus” meaning “rival”). The later Latin version of the name “Emilia” was probably used in medieval Italy, but as a given name for English girls, Emily wasn’t common until the 18th century. Princess Amelia Sophia of Hanover Germany moved to Great Britain when her grandfather, King George I, inherited the English throne in 1714, succeeding Queen Anne as her closest living Protestant relative (the Protestant part was important because Parliament refused to recognize Anne’s Catholic relatives). In England, Princess Amelia was called Emily and she alone helped popularize the name (oddly enough, however, Amelia and Emily are not related from an etymological perspective). Still, this is how Emily came to be favored among English-speaking people. By the 18th century, Emily was one of the most common names in England and eventually spread to other English-speaking nations (although Emily will always retain that certain British flavor). Adding a dose of literary currency are two famous name bearers: English author Emily Brontë (1818-1848) and American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). Spelling modifications such as Emilee and Emmalee are quite modern and mainly used among Americans.