Emery
Emery was the 74th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,208 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 70th; the most babies were born in 2025 (3,208). Over the last ten years it has moved up 60 places. More babies were named Emery in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Germanic, French
Say it EM-er-ee /ˈɛməri/
- Rank in 2025
- #74 girls, up 15 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,208girls
- Girls and boys
- 90% girls, 10% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20253,208 babies
- Total since 1880
- 64,249babies recorded
What does the name Emery mean?
Emery is a medieval name that came to England with the Normans and survived mainly as a surname. DMNES explains that it has several Germanic sources that cannot be told apart from an early date: names starting with amal, 'vigor, bravery', with heim, 'home', or with ermen, 'great, strong', all followed by ric, 'ruler'. Wiktionary gives the same options, comparing Amory and Henry. As a modern girl's name it is also linked with the mineral emery. DMNES finds Emery in an English record of 1429.
rīhhi (Old High German, “ruler”)*amal (Proto-Germanic, “vigor, bravery”)heim (Old High German, “home”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The second element 'ruler' is clear; the first element varies by source name and cannot be determined.
Related names: Emory, Amory, Emmery, Imre, Emeric.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Emery', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Emery', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Emery popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #74 | #815 | 3,208 | 305 |
| 2020 | #89 | #739 | 2,984 | 330 |
| 2010 | #313 | #737 | 1,024 | 311 |
| 2000 | #1,710 | #1,470 | 103 | 84 |
| 1990 | #3,647 | #1,290 | 29 | 74 |
| 1980 | #7,612 | #1,127 | 8 | 65 |
| 1970 | — | #970 | — | 69 |
| 1960 | #5,327 | #650 | 7 | 144 |
| 1950 | — | #604 | — | 128 |
| 1940 | — | #481 | — | 144 |
| 1930 | — | #424 | — | 194 |
| 1920 | #5,210 | #351 | 5 | 283 |
| 1910 | — | #333 | — | 55 |
| 1900 | — | #330 | — | 42 |
| 1890 | — | #296 | — | 34 |
| 1880 | — | #227 | — | 52 |
How popular is Emery, counting every spelling?
Emery is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #50 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #74 for Emery on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,898 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emery | 3,208 | #74 | 15,424 |
| Emory | 899 | #339 | 4,013 |
| Emerie | 548 | #553 | 2,667 |
| Emeri | 147 | #1,461 | 792 |
| Emmery | 51 | #3,141 | 258 |
| Emmerie | 23 | #5,456 | 114 |
| Emeree | 15 | #7,237 | 79 |
| Emmeri | — | — | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Emery?
3,208 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Emery (0.89 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Emery 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 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Emery.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Emery?
About 43,500 people born in the US named Emery are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 12. That makes Emery 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.
Emery by state
How common Emery was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Montana (3.6×), South Dakota (3.5×), Wyoming (3.3×), North Dakota (2.7×), Mississippi (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Emery: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Emery, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Emery · Sibling names for Emery
Questions about the name Emery
What does Emery mean?
The origin of Emery is uncertain: the second element 'ruler' is clear; the first element varies by source name and cannot be determined.
How popular is the name Emery?
Emery was the 74th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,208 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 70th; the most babies were born in 2025 (3,208). Over the last ten years it has moved up 60 places. More babies were named Emery in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Emery a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 90% girls, 10% boys given the name Emery in the US.
Where is Emery most popular?
In 2021–2025, Emery was most common in Montana (6.80 per 1,000 girls), followed by South Dakota and Wyoming.