Aubrey
Meaning of Aubrey
Aubrey is the Norman French form of Alberich, a Germanic name built from elements meaning 'elf' and 'power', often explained as 'elf ruler'. The Normans brought it to England, where it was traditionally given to boys. It is pronounced AW-bree.
Well-known bearers include the actress Aubrey Plaza, who played April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation, and the English illustrator Aubrey Beardsley, known for his black ink drawings of the 1890s. The 1972 song Aubrey, by the band Bread, is often credited with the name's rise for girls.
In the U.S., few girls were named Aubrey until 1973, when 142 received the name, up from 20 the year before. It climbed over the following decades to a peak of No. 15 in 2012, with 8,061 babies. Since then it has fallen steadily, ranking 146th in 2025 with 2,003 babies.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as AW-bree (/ˈɔbri/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Aubrey
| Aubrey Plaza is an American actress, comedian, and producer who began in improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, debuted in the film Mystery Team, and rose to fame as April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation. |
| Aubrey Pankey - Aubrey W. Pankey, an American-born baritone and noted Lieder singer in 1930s Germany, moved to East Germany in 1956 amid McCarthyism with companion Fania Fenelon and became the first American to sing in the People's Republic of China. |
| Aubrey Beardsley was an English illustrator and author whose Japanese woodcut inspired black ink drawings helped define the decadent Aesthetic Movement and advance Art Nouveau before his early death from tuberculosis. |
| Aubrey Robert David is a Guyana-born defender for Guatemalan club Municipal and a Trinidad and Tobago international. |
| Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford - Aubrey de Vere, the 20th Earl of Oxford, was an English army officer and magistrate who fought for the Royalists in the English Civil War. |
| Aubrey Willis Williams was an American civil rights and social activist who led the National Youth Administration during the New Deal. |
| Aubrey Thomas de Vere was a noted Irish poet and critic. |
| Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford, was an English noble active in the mid twelfth century fight for the crown between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. |
| Aubrey Beauclerk, 6th Duke of St Albans - Aubrey Beauclerk the sixth Duke of St Albans was an English aristocrat and politician. |
| Aubrey Shea Peeples is an American actor and singer best known for playing Layla Grant on Nashville, starring in Jem and the Holograms, leading the Search and Destroy pilot, and making their writing and directing debut with Decadeless. |
| Aubrey Lee Lyles was an American vaudeville performer, playwright, songwriter, and lyricist best known as half of the African American comedy duo Miller and Lyles, who appeared as grocers in the 1929 short They Know Their Groceries. |
| Aubrey Frances Anderson-Emmons, also known as Frances Anderson, is an American actress, singer, and musician best known for playing Lily Tucker-Pritchett on ABC's Modern Family from 2011 to 2020. |
| Aubrey Eugene Robinson Jr. served as a United States district judge for the District of Columbia. |
