Emerson
Emerson was the 122nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,241 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 58 places. More babies were named Emerson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Emery · English, Germanic
Say it EM-er-suhn /ˈɛmərsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #122 girls, up 33 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,241girls
- Girls and boys
- 60% girls, 40% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,241 babies
- Total since 1880
- 67,571babies recorded
What does the name Emerson mean?
Emerson is an English patronymic surname. Wiktionary analyses it as Emery plus -son, and Wikipedia gives either 'Emery's son' or 'Emar's son'. Emery is a medieval Germanic name ending in a word for 'ruler', whose first element DMNES says cannot be pinned down. The writer Ralph Waldo Emerson made the surname famous in the US. Wikipedia notes that Emerson is used for both boys and girls, along with the spelling Emersyn.
Emery (Middle English, “personal name”)-son (Middle English, “son of”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Emersyn, Emery, Emmerson.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Emerson', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Emerson (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Emery', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Nicknames for Emerson
The usual nicknames for Emerson are Em.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em · also for Emilia, Emily, Emma | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Emersons go by each one.
Emerson popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #122 | #254 | 2,241 | 1,371 |
| 2020 | #155 | #268 | 1,793 | 1,276 |
| 2010 | #316 | #430 | 1,010 | 636 |
| 2000 | #1,369 | #911 | 136 | 170 |
| 1990 | — | #905 | — | 130 |
| 1980 | — | #1,107 | — | 67 |
| 1970 | — | #960 | — | 70 |
| 1960 | — | #811 | — | 89 |
| 1950 | — | #679 | — | 102 |
| 1940 | — | #520 | — | 125 |
| 1930 | — | #455 | — | 171 |
| 1920 | — | #373 | — | 259 |
| 1910 | — | #356 | — | 52 |
| 1900 | — | #382 | — | 34 |
| 1890 | — | #543 | — | 13 |
| 1880 | — | #344 | — | 25 |
How popular is Emerson, counting every spelling?
Emerson has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #152 for girls in 2025, against #122 on the official list, because Kaylani/Kailani/Keilani and Isabelle/Isabel/Izabel and Ariana/Arianna/Ariannah move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Emerson?
2,241 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Emerson (0.62 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Emerson born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Emerson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Emerson?
About 33,800 people born in the US named Emerson are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 15. That makes Emerson a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Emerson by state
How common Emerson was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Hampshire (3.4×), Maine (3.3×), South Carolina (2.3×), Arkansas (2.1×), South Dakota (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, Hawaii, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Emerson: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Emerson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Emerson · Sibling names for Emerson
Questions about the name Emerson
What does Emerson mean?
Emerson means “son of Emery” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Emerson?
Emerson was the 122nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,241 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 58 places. More babies were named Emerson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Emerson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 60% girls, 40% boys given the name Emerson in the US.
Where is Emerson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Emerson was most common in New Hampshire (3.95 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maine and South Carolina.