Emily is an English form of Emilia. Emilia originates in Latin language and means "competitor, rival". It is a feminine form of Emil. As a feminine given name it has been used since the end of the 19th century. It was the name of a character in William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello. Over decades, Emily has been one of the most popular feminine given names. It was popularized by the American poet Emily Dickinson, as well as the English novelist Emily Bronte.