What does Emerson mean?

English: brave; powerful; German: son of Emery

Is Emerson a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Emerson is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Emerson?

It’s currently ranked #148 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

How do you pronounce Emerson?

EM-er-sun · IPA: /ˈɛmərsən/

Emerson Unisex

Popularity: #255 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationEM-er-son / ˈɛmərsən

English; German

Meaning

English: son of Emery; German: brave, powerful

Historical & Cultural Background

Emerson is derived from the surname that became popular as a given name in the 19th century. It is associated with the English poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was a key figure in the transcendentalist movement. The name has gained popularity in modern times, particularly in the United States. It reflects a blend of traditional and contemporary naming trends.

Trend Summary

Emerson has seen a steady rise in popularity as a boy's name in the United States over the past two decades.

Variants

Emersyn
Emersen

International Variants

Emerson (English)
Emersson (Spanish)

Famous people named Emerson

Emerson Fittipaldi is a Brazilian former Formula One driver and two-time world champion.

Emerson Lake & Palmer was a British progressive rock supergroup formed in the early 1970s.

Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, known for its communication and arts programs.

Fictional characters named Emerson

Emerson Cod is a character in the television series 'Pushing Daisies,' known for being a private investigator.

Emerson is a character in the video game 'The Last of Us Part II,' serving as a member of the WLF.

Sibling Suggestions

Ethan Evelyn Ella Emilia Eli Evan

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Emerson was first seen in the United States in 1880. Emerson has ranked as high as #466 nationally, which occurred in 2019, and has been most popular in California, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In the past 5 years the name Emerson has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Emerson (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	108	9%
TX	88	7%
OH	76	6%
FL	74	6%
PA	68	6%
NC	50	4%
WA	45	4%
MI	45	4%
NY	45	4%
GA	43	4%
IN	41	3%
TN	38	3%
IL	34	3%
VA	34	3%
WI	32	3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	25
1881	20
1882	15
1883	20
1884	15
1885	17
1886	17
1887	16
1888	18
1889	22
1890	13
1891	21
1892	19
1893	20
1894	23
1895	21
1896	20
1897	13
1898	25
1899	19
1900	34
1901	25
1902	28
1903	26
1904	30
1905	36
1906	28
1907	41
1908	32
1909	41
1910	52
1911	59
1912	142
1913	114
1914	164
1915	229
1916	225
1917	229
1918	273
1919	264
1920	259
1921	236
1922	254
1923	222
1924	249
1925	231
1926	187
1927	186
1928	188
1929	127
1930	171
1931	124
1932	141
1933	121
1934	130
1935	110
1936	108
1937	116
1938	121
1939	96
1940	125
1941	113
1942	116
1943	115
1944	103
1945	82
1946	97
1947	116
1948	109
1949	117
1950	102
1951	112
1952	88
1953	101
1954	117
1955	79
1956	88
1957	93
1958	79
1959	87
1960	89
1961	74
1962	89
1963	89
1964	88
1965	74
1966	67
1967	68
1968	64
1969	57
1970	70
1971	63
1972	66
1973	66
1974	56
1975	66
1976	78
1977	68
1978	73
1979	74
1980	67
1981	72
1982	75
1983	76
1984	89
1985	87
1986	100
1987	86
1988	95
1989	111
1990	130
1991	106
1992	119
1993	130
1994	112
1995	139
1996	127
1997	119
1998	167
1999	168
2000	170
2001	225
2002	223
2003	264
2004	267
2005	387
2006	469
2007	537
2008	585
2009	639
2010	636
2011	737
2012	838
2013	979
2014	1,055
2015	1,203
2016	1,226
2017	1,321
2018	1,242
2019	1,343
2020	1,276
2021	1,237
2022	1,268
2023	1,260
2024	1,270