My
Name: The Origin and Meaning Behind It My name is Emily, which is derived from the Latin name Aemilia. Aemilia means "rival," which is fitting as my parents named me after my older sister. They wanted a name that sounded nice with my sister's name, but also one that wouldn't make me feel like I was always living in her shadow. It's safe to say that my sister and I are not rivals, but we do have a playful competitiveness between us. One of the reasons why I love my name is because it is versatile in terms of nicknames. My parents always called me Em, but as I grew older, I started going by Emily with my friends. And now, some of my closest friends call me Emmers or Emz, which I never would have thought of myself. Another interesting facet of my name is that it is widely used in different cultures. Emily is a popular name in Western cultures, but it also has roots in Arabic languages, where it means "to strive" or "to excel." In Chinese, Emily is written as 艾米莉 (ài mǐ lì), and in Japanese, it can be written as エミリー (emirī). While my name doesn't have a particularly unique or personal origin story, I am still proud of it. Growing up, I constantly heard people compliment my name, and it always made me feel special. When I hear "Emily," I know someone is talking to or about me, and that feels good. I might not be a rival, but I am definitely unique in my own way, just like the origin and meaning behind my name.