Emerson Unisex

Popularity: #119 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EM-er-sun /ˈɛmərsən/

Origin: English; German

Meaning: English: brave; powerful; German: son of Emery

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Emerson has its roots in the Old English name "Emærson," which translates to "son of Emery." The name Emery itself is derived from the Germanic elements "amal," meaning "work," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power." This etymological journey reflects a lineage that traces back to the early medieval period, where names often indicated lineage or occupation. The transition from Old English to Middle English saw the adaptation of many names, including Emerson, which began to be used as a surname before evolving into a given name in later centuries.

Historically, the name Emerson gained prominence in the 19th century, particularly through the influence of notable figures such as the American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882). His works, which emphasized individualism and nature, contributed to the cultural resonance of the name in American literature and thought.

The use of Emerson as a first name began to emerge more prominently in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reflecting a broader trend of adopting surnames as first names during this period. Culturally, the name Emerson has been associated with qualities such as strength, creativity, and intellectualism, largely due to the legacy of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The name has also been embraced in various literary and artistic contexts, symbolizing a connection to the transcendentalist movement and a celebration of the human spirit. While diminutive forms like "Emmy" or "Em" may be used informally, the name Emerson stands strong in its own right, embodying a rich historical and cultural narrative.

Famous people named Emerson

In this section, you will find notable people named Emerson. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Emerson who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Emerson who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Emerson Fittipaldi is a former racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship and the Indianapolis 500.

Fictional characters named Emerson

The following list of fictional characters named Emerson is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Emerson Cod is a fictional character from the TV series Pushing Daisies. He is a private investigator who partners with a pie maker who can bring the dead back to life to solve murder cases.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Emerson, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EmeryEllaEvelynEmmaElenaEleanor

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Emerson was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Emerson has ranked as high as #168 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Emerson has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Emerson is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Emerson was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Emerson.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,612 1,371 2,241
2024 3,247 1,276 1,971
2023 3,035 1,261 1,774
2022 2,993 1,269 1,724
2021 2,982 1,239 1,743
2020 3,069 1,276 1,793
2019 3,209 1,344 1,865
2018 3,190 1,242 1,948
2017 3,300 1,322 1,978
2016 3,188 1,226 1,962
2015 3,001 1,203 1,798
2014 2,739 1,056 1,683
2013 2,504 979 1,525
2012 2,151 838 1,313
2011 1,888 737 1,151
2010 1,646 636 1,010
2009 1,656 639 1,017
2008 1,750 585 1,165
2007 1,617 537 1,080
2006 1,538 469 1,069
2005 1,070 387 683
2004 535 267 268
2003 588 264 324
2002 503 223 280
2001 408 225 183
2000 306 170 136
1999 311 168 143
1998 313 167 146
1997 139 119 20
1996 143 127 16
1995 155 139 16
1994 126 112 14
1993 141 130 11
1992 119 119 0
1991 106 106 0
1990 130 130 0
1989 111 111 0
1988 95 95 0
1987 86 86 0
1986 100 100 0
1985 87 87 0
1984 89 89 0
1983 76 76 0
1982 75 75 0
1981 72 72 0
1980 67 67 0
1979 74 74 0
1978 73 73 0
1977 68 68 0
1976 78 78 0
1975 66 66 0
1974 56 56 0
1973 66 66 0
1972 66 66 0
1971 63 63 0
1970 70 70 0
1969 57 57 0
1968 64 64 0
1967 68 68 0
1966 67 67 0
1965 74 74 0
1964 88 88 0
1963 89 89 0
1962 89 89 0
1961 74 74 0
1960 89 89 0
1959 87 87 0
1958 79 79 0
1957 93 93 0
1956 88 88 0
1955 79 79 0
1954 117 117 0
1953 101 101 0
1952 88 88 0
1951 112 112 0
1950 102 102 0
1949 116 116 0
1948 109 109 0
1947 116 116 0
1946 97 97 0
1945 82 82 0
1944 103 103 0
1943 115 115 0
1942 116 116 0
1941 113 113 0
1940 125 125 0
1939 96 96 0
1938 121 121 0
1937 116 116 0
1936 108 108 0
1935 110 110 0
1934 130 130 0
1933 121 121 0
1932 141 141 0
1931 124 124 0
1930 171 171 0
1929 127 127 0
1928 188 188 0
1927 186 186 0
1926 187 187 0
1925 231 231 0
1924 249 249 0
1923 222 222 0
1922 254 254 0
1921 236 236 0
1920 259 259 0
1919 264 264 0
1918 273 273 0
1917 229 229 0
1916 225 225 0
1915 229 229 0
1914 164 164 0
1913 114 114 0
1912 142 142 0
1911 59 59 0
1910 52 52 0
1909 41 41 0
1908 32 32 0
1907 41 41 0
1906 28 28 0
1905 36 36 0
1904 30 30 0
1903 26 26 0
1902 28 28 0
1901 25 25 0
1900 34 34 0
1899 19 19 0
1898 25 25 0
1897 13 13 0
1896 20 20 0
1895 21 21 0
1894 23 23 0
1893 20 20 0
1892 19 19 0
1891 21 21 0
1890 13 13 0
1889 22 22 0
1888 18 18 0
1887 16 16 0
1886 17 17 0
1885 17 17 0
1884 15 15 0
1883 20 20 0
1882 15 15 0
1881 20 20 0
1880 25 25 0

Top States for Emerson (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 265
8%
CA 233
7%
OH 194
6%
NC 171
5%
FL 144
5%
PA 136
4%
GA 135
4%
NY 120
4%
IL 104
3%
MI 103
3%
IN 103
3%
MA 99
3%
TN 98
3%
WA 90
3%
CO 85
3%
VA 85
3%
MO 77
2%
MN 72
2%
KY 68
2%
SC 67
2%
WI 63
2%
AL 52
2%
AZ 50
2%
NJ 47
1%
MD 44
1%
OK 42
1%
LA 36
1%
IA 36
1%
CT 36
1%
KS 36
1%
OR 35
1%
AR 34
1%
UT 31
1%
MS 24
1%
WV 23
1%
ID 21
1%
NH 20
1%
NE 18
1%
ME 17
1%
VT 15
0%
NM 12
0%
NV 12
0%
DE 11
0%
SD 10
0%
ND 7
0%
AK 6
0%
DC 6
0%
HI 5
0%