Envy, derived from the Latin word 'invīdiae', entered the English language in the late 14th century and initially meant 'a feeling of discontent or resentment against someone else's happiness or prosperity.' Over time, its usage has expanded to encompass a broader range of feelings, including envy as we understand it today: a painful emotion that arises when someone lacks something possessed by another person. This name choice often reflects the parents' desire for their child to embody qualities such as uniqueness and intensity, drawing inspiration from the powerful emotions evoked by the name itself.
The name Envy saw a peak in popularity around the years 2007 to 2010 with consistently high numbers of births each year during this period. However, it seems that the popularity of the name has been declining since then, with fewer than 35 births reported annually since 2014. The total number of births given the name Envy from 1999 to 2023 is 668.