Image via Wikipedia
He’s a famous fictional newscaster’s mother – and son.
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Avery as our Baby Name of the Day.
Avery ranked #23 for girls born in the US last year. She’s among other recent starts-with-A surname discoveries (think Ainsley or Aubrey), with high profile uses in recent years:
- Maybe the first Avery that comes to mind is Fern’s brother in Charlotte’s Web. E.B. White wrote the book in 1952, but a 1973 animated movie brought the tale to a whole generation – many of whom have chosen the name Avery for a child of their own;
- Avery was Murphy Brown’s mom, and the name Murph chose for her son. The pregnancy a huge story for the 1991-1992 season, one that made real-world waves when then-Vice President Dan Quayle challenged the character’s status as a single parent – and the show incorporated the veep’s speech into their show;
- Avery was Jerry Maguire’s girlfriend at the beginning of the hit 1996 movie – the girlfriend who dumped him when his career went south.
Avery comes from the same soup as Alfred – elf counsel. King Alfred held off the invading Danes in the ninth century, leading to plenty of parents interested in naming their sons after the heroic figure. Variants like Alvery and Alvere evolved, as well as the Norman French Auvery 0r Auveray.
Both Alfred and Avery have ranked in the US Boys’ Top 1000 every year since 1880. But their trend lines are very different. Alfred was a top 100 staple for decades, while Avery languished well above 500. While both still rank, Avery is gaining steadily for boys – charting at #210 last year – while Alfred has fallen to #899.
And yet, plenty of parents consider Avery solidly feminine, a blend of the best elements of Ava and Emily. While Murphy Brown’s high profile babe helped boost the name for both genders, Avery’s rapid rise for girls is clearly linked to broader trends. While there’s no etymological connection, the similar sounds also bring to mind aviary – from the Latin word for bird.
The small screen gives us two female Averys:
- 30 Rock’s Avery Jessup is Jack Donaghy’s other half, the mother of Liddy;
- Ramona Singer on The Real Housewives of New York City has a teenage daughter called Avery.
You can also find Avery on the map across the US, in the office supply closet – they make labels and other supplies, and in the cooler – Avery Brewing Company is big in Colorado.
Avery has a crisp, preppy sound. She’s so popular for girls that some parents might find her overexposed. And that does make some parents avoid the name for boys. But just like in 1991, when the unconventional Murph used her mother’s name for her newborn baby boy, this one wears well on either gender.
Avery can be derived from the name Aubrey (from Alberich), and its feminine counterpart, Albreda. Maybe also from Aelfric, but Surname Database doesn’t give Alfred as a source.
http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/avery
When I hear the name Avery, all I can think of is the word “aviary” …
You’re right, Waltzing – they’re both legit origins for Avery. The evolution given there – Alfrey, Affrey, Avery – actually seems more likely. I just checked Kate Monk’s list of Saxon names, and she gives Avery-like forerunners to both the Alfred and Albert/Alberic clusters. (http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/England-Medieval/Saxon.html) Chalk it up to another case of the same name evolving from two similar sources, or even more – that aelf (elf) element was popular.
Surname DB is very often wrong, Waltzing!
From a linguistics point of view, Avery comes from Alfred. All the early examples support it. Of course, over the centuries, it’s perfectly plausible that Aubrey and Avery might get mixed up and there’s certainly some confusion and mixing up among a number of the ælf-, æthel- names — and indeed the æl- ones too.
I’m sure it’s one of those cases of multiple sources that are very hard to identify, and with “elf” names so common at that time, almost impossible to unravel!
(I know SDB isn’t always correct, but in this case, I thought they made a good argument – it’s hard to see de Aubri as coming from anything other than Aubrey).
I like the name Avery, but mostly on boys only. There are very few Av- male names out there, it would be nice if this one didnt become the next Ashley, but it seems like it will unfortunately.
I like Avery on boys too. The associations: birds & stationery don’t belong on girls, I think. I would be weirded out if I met a girl Avery. Thank goodness I haven’t yet!
About the only other Av- name I like on boys is Avi.
Birds don’t belong on girls? I disagree. I find birds very feminine, and I think you’ve probably heard the nickname Birdie before.
And Wren, and Robin, and Avis and Dove and Teal…
Robin is a boys name in some places though (and would not even be considered as a girl’s name), e.g. the UK.
There is Raven too which I think is a girl’s name (although I could see it working for a boy too).
ha! I always think about Murphy Brown in connection to Avery also- I thought I was the only one! I have to confess I’ve loved it since that baby was born!
It has only been recently that I even heard of this name (never saw Murphy Brown) and it sounded and looked feminine to me, so I was surprised when I have seen people defending it so arduantly as a boys name. Looking at the rankings it is certainly interesting (and counter to normal belief) that it is rising in popularity as a boys name almost off the back of the rising popularity in it being a girl’s name too. I can certainly see this as being a unisex name.
I know birds can be girlsy, but I should’ve said Aviaries and stationery” Not birds. My bad!
I went to school with a girl whose surname is Avery, so I think of Avery as very unisex. That said, I really prefer Avery on a boy. In fact, Avery is one of the few ends-in-y surname names I like for boys.
I don’t think Avery is headed the way of Ashley, not with a #210 ranking for boys. Now if Avery gets to the Top 10 or Top 5 for girls, maybe it’ll be another story. I guess only time will tell
Pre-Murphy Brown, the only Avery I was familiar with was the Spenser For Hire actor Avery Brooks. Since he tends to play bold and no-nonsense characters, the name feels tough and aggressive. When Colleen Dewhurst’s character’s was named Avery it also seemed suitable for such a domineering mother. (At the time, I was so proud of myself when I guessed correctly that he would be named after his grandma.)
I still think Avery seems “tough” and it feels more appealing on a boy.
I was going to mention Brooks from Deep Space Nine.
I have a 5 month old neice named Gracie. My sister had picked out the name Avery if she were a boy. Firstly because she knew a boy with the last name Avery when she was younger and always loved the name…and Secondly because she discovered its connection with Alfred which is our grandfather’s middle name. I LOVE the name Avery for a boy and I look forward possiblilty of a future nephew.
I like Avery, but only for a girl. I think most surnames ending in -y sound too feminine to be used for boys.
I have a little cousin and her name is Avery. So I think the name as a feminine name, and it would feel weird to me if I met a little boy named Avery.
My first introduction to Avery was indeed Charlotte’s Web — a book that I received MANY copies of as a child. I really like the name on a boy, and while I don’t really mind it on a girl, I still think it has a masculine sound.
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