Aubrey

What does Aubrey mean?

Aubrey means “elf ruler.” It comes from Auberi, an Old French form of the Germanic name Alberich. The older elements are alb, “elf,” and rih, “ruler” or “king.” That history gives Aubrey a connection with the supernatural world of medieval naming and storytelling.

The Normans brought the name to England, where it became familiar during the Middle Ages. It was later revived in the nineteenth century. Although historically masculine, Aubrey became increasingly popular for girls during the later twentieth century, particularly in the United States.

Medieval roots and a modern change

Alberich appears in the medieval German epic the Nibelungenlied as the name of a dwarf who guards a treasure. Aubrey belongs to the same name family through its French development, carrying the old Germanic elements into a much softer English sound.

The modern rise for girls was helped by Bread's 1972 song Aubrey and by the name's resemblance to Audrey. The two spellings are close, but Audrey comes from a different older name.

Its long masculine history remains visible in well-known bearers from art and literature.

Aubrey Beardsley and illustration

British artist Aubrey Beardsley gives the name a particularly distinctive visual association. His illustrations for the 1894 English edition of Oscar Wilde's Salome became some of his best-known works, using striking line and areas of black and white.

The Toilet of Salome, held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, shows the character attended at a dressing table, with musicians and other figures arranged around her. The scene brings costume, theatricality, and decorative detail into a tightly composed image.

Beardsley's name connects Aubrey with late-nineteenth-century illustration and a recognizable graphic style. The elaborate visual world of his work offers a very different association from the name's compact modern sound.

Aubrey Plaza and television

Actress Aubrey Plaza supplies a prominent contemporary feminine association. Her performance as Harper Spiller in The White Lotus earned an Emmy nomination for supporting actress in a drama series in the 2023 awards cycle.

The role places Aubrey in a much later cultural setting than Beardsley's book illustration. Together, the two bearers show the spelling's continuity across its older masculine use and its more recent visibility as a feminine first name.

Pronunciation and related forms

Aubrey is pronounced AW-bree, with two syllables and stress on the first. Aubree and Aubrie are related modern spellings. Auberi, Alberich, and Alberic preserve earlier stages or close forms in the same historical family.

Audrey has a different origin despite the one-letter difference. Aubrey's br sound is also distinct from Audrey's dr, a small change that gives each name its own rhythm.

Aubrey in the United States

Aubrey reached its American girls' peak in 2012, with 8,061 babies and a rank of No. 15. In 2025 it ranked No. 146 for girls. Its best boys' rank was No. 224 in 1912; in 2025 it ranked No. 2,093 for boys.

How popular is Aubrey?

In 2025, Aubrey ranked #146 among girls in the United States, with 2,003 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1889; its largest annual count was 8,061 in 2012. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.