UK girl's name
Emer
An Irish feminine name meaning "prosperous" or "rich; wealthy".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Emer is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Emer popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5669, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 22 births.
This profile covers 190 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 14% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 514 living people in the UK are called Emer. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Emer ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 22 girls were registered as Emer.
- • Emer ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #253 in 2024.
- • About 514 living people in the UK are estimated to have Emer as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5669
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
1999
22 births
Estimated living
514
2026
Meaning
What does Emer mean?
The given name Emer has its origins in the Irish language and culture. It is derived from the Old Irish word "iamhar" or "emer," which means "swift" or "indefatigable." The name is believed to have been in use as early as the 6th century AD, during the medieval period in Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emer can be found in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, where it was borne by the wife of the legendary hero Cú Chulainn. Emer is portrayed as a strong, independent woman who played a significant role in the epic tales.
In the 9th century, there is a historical record of an Irish princess named Emer, the daughter of Óengus mac Fergusa, the King of the Picts. She married Áed Finliath, the High King of Ireland, further cementing the name's connection to Irish royalty.
During the Middle Ages, the name Emer was not uncommon among the Irish nobility. One notable figure was Emer ingen Áeda, a 10th-century Irish poet and historian who wrote about the history of the Dál Fiatach dynasty.
In the 16th century, an Irish clan chief named Emer Mac Sweeney played a significant role in the Nine Years' War against the English crown, showcasing the name's association with Irish resistance and patriotism.
Another famous bearer of the name was Emer de Valera (1878-1975), the wife of Éamon de Valera, the renowned Irish patriot and statesman who served as the President of Ireland. Her unwavering support for her husband's political career and her dedication to Irish nationalism earned her a place in Irish history.
Moving into more recent times, Emer Stamp (1905-1981) was an Irish artist and illustrator known for her work in children's literature and her contributions to the Irish cultural renaissance of the early 20th century.
The name Emer has maintained its Irish roots and continues to be used, albeit less commonly, in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora around the world. Its historical significance and connections to Irish mythology, royalty, and resistance have solidified its place in the cultural heritage of Ireland.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Emer over time
The chart below shows babies named Emer registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Emer, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 22 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emer by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Emer was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4815 | 8 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4674 | 21 | 5 |
| 2000s | #2096 | 96 | 9 |
| 1990s | #1210 | 65 | 4 |
Geography
Where Emer is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Emer. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Emer ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #253 in 2024.
Across the UK
Emer in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#667 in 2003
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#253 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 317 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Emer
-
Emer Kenny
screenwriter; actor
British actress
1989-
-
Emer Currie
politician
Irish politician
1979-
-
Emer de Valera
daughter of Éamon de Valera, mother of Éamon Ó Cuív
1918-2012
-
Emer O'Toole
journalist; writer; academic
Irish writer and academic
Related
Names similar to Emer
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Elsie 23,671
- Emilia 22,167
FAQ
Emer: questions and answers
How popular is the name Emer in the UK right now?
In 2022, Emer was ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Emer most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 22 babies registered as Emer in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Emer?
An Irish feminine name meaning "prosperous" or "rich; wealthy".
How many people are called Emer in the UK?
A total of 190 babies have been registered as Emer across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland and 317 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Emer most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Emer ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #253 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.