Aubrey is a unisex given name of English origin, derived from the Germanic elements "álfr" meaning "elf" and "rīc" meaning "powerful". The name was first used as a masculine given name in medieval England, but it has since become more commonly associated with females. Aubrey was popularized as a female given name in the late 19th century by English writer Thomas Love Peacock's novel "The Misfortunes of Elphin", which featured a character named Aubrey. Today, Aubrey is still used for both boys and girls, but it is more commonly given to females.
The name Aubrey experienced a significant rise in popularity from the late 1960s onwards, with a notable spike in usage starting around 1973. Between 1973 and 2022, there were over 129,000 births registered with the name Aubrey. However, there was a noticeable decline in its popularity from the mid-2010s onwards, with the most recent data showing fewer than 3,000 births per year since 2016. The name's peak popularity occurred in 2011 and 2012, with over 8,000 births registered each of those years.