Emery Unisex

Popularity: #71 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EM-uh-ree /ˈɛməri/

Origin: Old French; Germanic

Meaning: Old French: brave; Germanic: work ruler

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Emery has its roots in the Old German name "Emmerich," which is derived from the elements "amal," meaning "work," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power." This name evolved through various linguistic stages, transitioning from Old High German to Old French as "Haimric" before being adopted into Middle English as "Emery." The name was introduced to England by the Normans after the Conquest in the 11th century, where it was used as both a given name and a surname, reflecting the influence of Norman culture on English naming practices. Historically, the name Emery has been borne by notable figures, including Saint Emery, a 7th-century bishop of the Church, who contributed to the spread of Christianity in Europe.

The name also appears in various medieval texts, including the works of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, which helped to solidify its presence in English literature. Additionally, the name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating its usage in early medieval England.

Over the centuries, variations of the name have emerged, including "Emery" as a surname, which has been documented since the 13th century. Culturally, the name Emery has been associated with strength and leadership due to its etymological roots.

It has been embraced in various forms across different cultures, often symbolizing industriousness and authority. The name's historical significance and its connection to themes of power and work have contributed to its endurance through the ages.

A diminutive form, "Emmy," has also been used, though it is less documented in historical texts. Overall, Emery reflects a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution and cultural resonance, embodying qualities that have made it a lasting choice throughout history.

Famous people named Emery

In this section, you will find notable people named Emery. 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 Emery who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Emery 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.

Emery Cohen is an actor best known for The OA, Brooklyn, and The Place Where We Lie.

Emery Smith is a former military personnel and researcher best known for his work in the field of ufology and as a speaker on extraterrestrial life.

Sibling suggestions

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

EmmaEllaEvelynEmilyEdenElena

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Emery. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AmoryAveryEmerysEmmelineEmberEmmeryElleryEverly

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Emery has ranked as high as #173 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina.

In the past 5 years the name Emery has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Emery 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 Emery 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 Emery.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,513 305 3,208
2024 3,512 305 3,207
2023 3,464 349 3,115
2022 3,330 357 2,973
2021 3,246 325 2,921
2020 3,314 330 2,984
2019 3,346 328 3,018
2018 3,309 300 3,009
2017 3,002 304 2,698
2016 2,761 341 2,420
2015 2,748 324 2,424
2014 2,413 367 2,046
2013 1,993 318 1,675
2012 1,852 367 1,485
2011 1,494 322 1,172
2010 1,335 311 1,024
2009 1,269 293 976
2008 983 303 680
2007 724 204 520
2006 533 181 352
2005 487 169 318
2004 329 122 207
2003 279 124 155
2002 230 97 133
2001 194 88 106
2000 187 84 103
1999 188 79 109
1998 171 80 91
1997 151 80 71
1996 144 69 75
1995 127 80 47
1994 126 87 39
1993 113 74 39
1992 135 90 45
1991 102 76 26
1990 103 74 29
1989 108 81 27
1988 100 82 18
1987 106 86 20
1986 99 78 21
1985 95 76 19
1984 85 68 17
1983 91 72 19
1982 94 82 12
1981 93 82 11
1980 73 65 8
1979 102 91 11
1978 75 64 11
1977 81 72 9
1976 73 73 0
1975 82 76 6
1974 72 59 13
1973 81 81 0
1972 77 72 5
1971 78 78 0
1970 69 69 0
1969 91 91 0
1968 90 90 0
1967 70 70 0
1966 81 81 0
1965 107 107 0
1964 125 125 0
1963 121 121 0
1962 150 145 5
1961 121 121 0
1960 151 144 7
1959 112 107 5
1958 99 99 0
1957 136 127 9
1956 147 147 0
1955 130 130 0
1954 130 130 0
1953 122 122 0
1952 139 139 0
1951 146 146 0
1950 128 128 0
1949 143 138 5
1948 141 141 0
1947 144 144 0
1946 121 121 0
1945 121 121 0
1944 111 111 0
1943 131 131 0
1942 166 161 5
1941 151 151 0
1940 144 144 0
1939 168 162 6
1938 163 157 6
1937 141 141 0
1936 143 143 0
1935 181 181 0
1934 178 178 0
1933 161 161 0
1932 163 163 0
1931 177 177 0
1930 194 194 0
1929 214 208 6
1928 233 228 5
1927 226 220 6
1926 229 223 6
1925 254 249 5
1924 268 268 0
1923 255 248 7
1922 282 276 6
1921 292 292 0
1920 288 283 5
1919 304 304 0
1918 278 272 6
1917 292 287 5
1916 266 266 0
1915 274 274 0
1914 211 211 0
1913 171 171 0
1912 137 137 0
1911 70 70 0
1910 55 55 0
1909 47 47 0
1908 48 48 0
1907 43 43 0
1906 39 34 5
1905 45 45 0
1904 30 30 0
1903 35 35 0
1902 39 39 0
1901 35 35 0
1900 42 42 0
1899 38 38 0
1898 48 48 0
1897 45 45 0
1896 41 41 0
1895 37 37 0
1894 40 40 0
1893 51 51 0
1892 48 48 0
1891 37 37 0
1890 34 34 0
1889 42 42 0
1888 37 37 0
1887 33 33 0
1886 44 44 0
1885 41 41 0
1884 51 51 0
1883 43 43 0
1882 53 53 0
1881 53 53 0
1880 52 52 0

Top States for Emery (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 446
13%
CA 356
10%
FL 173
5%
NC 145
4%
OH 137
4%
NY 110
3%
MI 105
3%
PA 103
3%
IN 100
3%
TN 98
3%
GA 96
3%
IL 94
3%
WA 92
3%
AZ 87
3%
MO 79
2%
UT 77
2%
VA 75
2%
CO 65
2%
MN 65
2%
LA 64
2%
KY 61
2%
SC 61
2%
WI 58
2%
AL 58
2%
OK 54
2%
AR 53
2%
NJ 50
1%
KS 48
1%
IA 43
1%
OR 39
1%
MA 39
1%
MS 39
1%
MD 33
1%
ID 30
1%
WV 26
1%
MT 22
1%
NE 22
1%
CT 20
1%
NV 20
1%
NM 17
0%
NH 16
0%
SD 16
0%
ME 13
0%
ND 12
0%
DE 9
0%
WY 6
0%