UK name, mostly boys
Emmerson
One having an industrious or able nature.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 9 girls.
Emmerson is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Emmerson popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3990, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 7 births.
This profile covers 40 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 1998 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 40 living people in the UK are called Emmerson. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Emmerson ranked #3990 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 7 boys were registered as Emmerson.
- • Emmerson is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 40 living people in the UK are estimated to have Emmerson as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 81.6% of Emmerson registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3990
2021
Births in 2021
4
Latest year
Peak year
2007
7 births
Estimated living
40
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Emmerson
In England and Wales birth records, Emmerson has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 81.6% of registrations are for boys and 18.4% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Emmerson registered for boys
- Ranked #3,990 in 2021
- 4 boys registered in 2021
- Peak: 2007 (7 births)
Emmerson registered for girls
- Ranked #5,669 in 2022
- 3 girls registered in 2022
- Peak: 2003 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Emmerson mean?
The given name Emmerson is an English name derived from the Old English words "emer" meaning "brave" and "son" meaning "son of." It originated in England during the medieval period and was initially used as a surname before becoming a popular first name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emmerson dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, the name was spelled "Emerson," which was likely the original spelling.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Emmerson. One of the most famous was Ralph Waldo Emmerson (1803-1882), an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who was a leading figure in the Transcendentalist movement. His writings, such as "Self-Reliance" and "Nature," had a profound impact on American literature and philosophy.
Another notable Emmerson was Thomas Addis Emmerson (1763-1835), an English mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of symbolic logic. He is best known for his work on the "Emmerson Algebra," which laid the foundations for modern symbolic logic.
In the realm of politics, Emmerson Mnangagwa (born 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who served as the President of Zimbabwe from 2017 to 2023. He played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence and was a key figure in the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Emmerson Russell (1924-2008) was an American actor best known for his role as Topper Daniels in the television series "The Immortal" (1970-1971). He had a prolific career in both film and television, appearing in numerous productions throughout the 20th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Emmerson Boyce (1949-2017), a Jamaican musician and singer-songwriter who was a pioneer of the reggae genre. He was a founding member of the influential reggae band Toots and the Maytals and contributed significantly to the popularization of Jamaican music worldwide.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Emmerson over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Emmerson in England and Wales, from 1998 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 Emmerson, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2021, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emmerson by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Emmerson 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 | #3990 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4258 | 15 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3537 | 18 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2901 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Emmerson
- Ethan 77,394
- Edward 53,212
- Elliot 23,450
- Elijah 22,369
- Ellis 19,358
- Elliott 16,964
- Evan 14,535
- Ezra 11,838
- Ewan 10,685
- Eli 8,126
- Elias 7,049
- Eric 6,654
FAQ
Emmerson: questions and answers
How popular is the name Emmerson in the UK right now?
In 2021, Emmerson was ranked #3990 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Emmerson most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 7 babies registered as Emmerson in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Emmerson?
One having an industrious or able nature.
How many people are called Emmerson in the UK?
A total of 40 babies have been registered as Emmerson across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.