Effie is a short form of Euphemia, a Greek name that means "well-spoken" or "of good repute"; in Scotland it also served as an English form of the Gaelic Oighrig. It was a common pet name in Victorian Britain and America and is now being rediscovered alongside Elsie and Edie. Effie ranked number 6020 in the United States in 2000, climbed to number 2113 in 2023 and stood at number 2245 in 2025.