Emmett Boy

Popularity: #121 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EM-it /ˈɛmɪt/

Origin: English; Hebrew

Meaning: English: universal; Hebrew: truth

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Emmett has its roots in the Old German name "Emmerich," which is derived from the elements "ermen," meaning "universal" or "whole," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power." This name transitioned into the Old French form "Aymet" before evolving into the Middle English "Emmet" or "Emmette." The eventual Anglicization to "Emmett" occurred in the 19th century, solidifying its presence in the English-speaking world. The name's journey reflects a blend of linguistic influences, showcasing the historical interactions between Germanic and Romance languages.

Historically, the name Emmett has been associated with various notable figures. One significant milestone is its use in the 19th century, particularly in the context of American history, where it was borne by prominent individuals such as Emmett Till, whose tragic story became a catalyst for the civil rights movement in the United States.

The name has also appeared in literature and popular culture, further embedding it into the social consciousness. While the name itself does not appear in biblical texts, its components reflect themes of leadership and universality that resonate with many historical narratives.

Culturally, Emmett carries connotations of strength and authority, which may have contributed to its endurance over the centuries. The name has been embraced in various forms, including the diminutive "Em" or "Emmy," which have been used affectionately in familial and social contexts.

The symbolic weight of the name, combined with its historical significance, has allowed Emmett to maintain a lasting presence in various cultures, particularly in English-speaking regions.

Famous people named Emmett

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

We also feature individuals named Emmett 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.

Emmett Kelly was a clown best known for his character Weary Willie, a hobo clown who became a symbol of the Great Depression.

Emmett Till was a civil rights martyr best known for his murder in 1955, which galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.

Emmett Smith is a former American football player best known for his career with the Dallas Cowboys and being the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

Emmett J. Scanlan is an actor best known for his roles in Hollyoaks, The Fall, and Peaky Blinders.

Fictional characters named Emmett

The following list of fictional characters named Emmett 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.

Emmett Brown is a fictional character from the film series Back to the Future. He is a quirky inventor and scientist who creates a time machine out of a DeLorean car.

Emmett is a fictional character from the animated film The Lego Movie. He is an ordinary Lego construction worker who becomes an unlikely hero in the fight against an evil tyrant.

Sibling suggestions

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

EthanEliEllaEmmaEvelynElias

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Emmett. 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.

EverettEmoryEamonEwanElliotEdisonEzekiel

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Emmett has ranked as high as #171 nationally, which occurred in 2021, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, and New York.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Emmett 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 Emmett 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 Emmett.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,973 2,950 23
2024 3,027 3,010 17
2023 3,102 3,076 26
2022 3,347 3,324 23
2021 3,681 3,663 18
2020 3,426 3,406 20
2019 3,577 3,555 22
2018 3,452 3,435 17
2017 3,182 3,169 13
2016 3,062 3,046 16
2015 3,056 3,043 13
2014 2,651 2,639 12
2013 2,366 2,360 6
2012 2,037 2,027 10
2011 1,614 1,609 5
2010 1,278 1,278 0
2009 955 955 0
2008 479 479 0
2007 448 448 0
2006 439 439 0
2005 380 380 0
2004 341 341 0
2003 287 287 0
2002 255 255 0
2001 255 255 0
2000 231 231 0
1999 188 188 0
1998 172 172 0
1997 198 198 0
1996 161 161 0
1995 173 173 0
1994 165 165 0
1993 166 166 0
1992 169 169 0
1991 131 131 0
1990 117 117 0
1989 131 131 0
1988 110 110 0
1987 102 102 0
1986 102 102 0
1985 84 84 0
1984 101 101 0
1983 121 121 0
1982 111 111 0
1981 103 103 0
1980 107 107 0
1979 114 114 0
1978 112 112 0
1977 122 122 0
1976 132 132 0
1975 123 123 0
1974 127 127 0
1973 132 132 0
1972 148 148 0
1971 151 151 0
1970 173 173 0
1969 189 189 0
1968 189 189 0
1967 190 190 0
1966 182 182 0
1965 194 194 0
1964 203 203 0
1963 198 198 0
1962 236 236 0
1961 239 239 0
1960 212 212 0
1959 288 288 0
1958 267 262 5
1957 300 300 0
1956 316 316 0
1955 298 298 0
1954 283 283 0
1953 287 287 0
1952 320 320 0
1951 324 324 0
1950 310 310 0
1949 290 285 5
1948 363 363 0
1947 425 419 6
1946 359 359 0
1945 303 303 0
1944 359 359 0
1943 332 332 0
1942 347 347 0
1941 327 327 0
1940 338 338 0
1939 349 349 0
1938 322 322 0
1937 320 320 0
1936 314 314 0
1935 358 358 0
1934 341 341 0
1933 360 360 0
1932 356 356 0
1931 400 400 0
1930 439 439 0
1929 425 425 0
1928 461 456 5
1927 493 486 7
1926 545 539 6
1925 587 579 8
1924 584 584 0
1923 571 564 7
1922 578 578 0
1921 615 608 7
1920 614 614 0
1919 635 629 6
1918 591 591 0
1917 547 542 5
1916 500 500 0
1915 592 592 0
1914 406 406 0
1913 340 340 0
1912 290 290 0
1911 141 141 0
1910 159 159 0
1909 147 147 0
1908 126 126 0
1907 148 148 0
1906 94 94 0
1905 128 128 0
1904 120 120 0
1903 97 97 0
1902 98 98 0
1901 110 110 0
1900 119 119 0
1899 97 97 0
1898 131 131 0
1897 118 118 0
1896 113 113 0
1895 138 138 0
1894 126 126 0
1893 103 103 0
1892 117 117 0
1891 89 89 0
1890 104 104 0
1889 108 108 0
1888 100 100 0
1887 90 90 0
1886 94 94 0
1885 101 101 0
1884 83 83 0
1883 87 87 0
1882 99 99 0
1881 65 65 0
1880 74 74 0

Top States for Emmett (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
CA 198
7%
TX 176
6%
PA 141
5%
OH 136
5%
NY 129
4%
FL 123
4%
MI 123
4%
IL 114
4%
WA 102
3%
NC 101
3%
WI 101
3%
MN 100
3%
GA 82
3%
TN 82
3%
VA 81
3%
MO 79
3%
IN 76
3%
UT 70
2%
MA 64
2%
CO 61
2%
IA 58
2%
KY 54
2%
OR 53
2%
NJ 52
2%
AZ 47
2%
KS 47
2%
SC 44
1%
AL 43
1%
MD 42
1%
NE 42
1%
LA 37
1%
CT 37
1%
OK 34
1%
AR 33
1%
NH 29
1%
ID 28
1%
NV 25
1%
MT 21
1%
SD 21
1%
ME 20
1%
ND 16
1%
WV 16
1%
MS 14
0%
AK 10
0%
NM 10
0%
VT 6
0%
RI 6
0%
DE 6
0%
WY 5
0%