NameCensus.

UK surname

Embery

A surname derived from the Middle English word "ambrere," meaning someone who traded in amber or amber jewelry.

In the 1881 census there were 106 people recorded with the Embery surname, ranking it #19,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, down from #19,083 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney and Newton St Cyre. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Embery is 212 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.8%.

1881 census count

106

Ranked #19,083

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

2010

212 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Embery had 106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,083 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Embery surname distribution map

The map shows where the Embery surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Embery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Embery over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 93 #17,946
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 106 #19,083
1891 historical 148 #18,506
1901 historical 174 #16,520
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 203 #17,457
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 205 #17,960
2000 modern 198 #18,330
2001 modern 206 #17,624
2002 modern 199 #18,350
2003 modern 193 #18,501
2004 modern 190 #18,792
2005 modern 193 #18,572
2006 modern 191 #18,825
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 203 #18,470
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 212 #18,726
2011 modern 207 #18,841
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 203 #19,381
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Emberys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney, Newton St Cyre, Lambeth and Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early),. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough, Peterborough, Wirral and Tendring. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
3 Newton St Cyre Devon
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Windsor and Maidenhead 009 Windsor and Maidenhead
2 Slough 001 Slough
3 Peterborough 018 Peterborough
4 Wirral 014 Wirral
5 Tendring 015 Tendring

Forenames

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First names often paired with Embery

These lists show first names that appear often with the Embery surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Embery

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Embery, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Embery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Embery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Embery is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Embery is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Embery falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Embery is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Embery, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Embery

The surname EMBERY originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "emberie," which referred to an embankment or raised earthwork, often used as a defensive fortification.

In the medieval period, the EMBERY name was concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where many of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1199, which mention a certain Robert de Emberie.

The name is also found in various historic documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Embury." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.

One notable bearer of the EMBERY surname was John Embery, a prominent merchant and alderman who lived in Bristol in the 15th century. Records indicate that he served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1472 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.

Another noteworthy individual with the EMBERY name was Sir William Embery, a Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Westbury in Wiltshire during the late 16th century. He was born in 1548 and played an active role in the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the EMBERY surname can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. One example is Thomas Embery, who was born in 1624 in the village of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and served as a local magistrate and landowner.

Another notable bearer of the EMBERY name was Captain John Embery, a British naval officer who served during the 18th century. He was born in 1712 and gained recognition for his role in several naval engagements, including the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.

As the centuries progressed, the EMBERY surname spread across England and beyond, with some bearers of the name eventually emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Embery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Embery surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Surrey leads with 20 Emberys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.76x.

County Total Index
Surrey 20 3.76x
Middlesex 18 1.65x
Devon 17 7.48x
Somerset 12 6.82x
Berkshire 8 9.76x
Lancashire 8 0.62x
Staffordshire 6 1.63x
Derbyshire 5 2.92x
Isle of Man 5 24.65x
Montgomeryshire 3 11.99x
Shropshire 2 2.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.47x
Herefordshire 1 2.23x
Kent 1 0.27x
Leicestershire 1 0.83x
Lincolnshire 1 0.57x
Monmouthshire 1 1.27x
Royal Navy 1 7.68x
Worcestershire 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crewkerne in Somerset leads with 12 Emberys recorded in 1881 and an index of 641.71x.

Place Total Index
Crewkerne 12 641.71x
Mile End Old Town London 9 38.71x
Reading St Giles 8 99.50x
Bideford 7 286.89x
Camberwell 7 10.03x
Halliwell 7 148.31x
Lambeth 7 7.35x
Newton St Cyres 6 1875.00x
Wolverhampton 6 21.16x
Onchan 5 85.62x
Islington London 4 3.78x
Derby St Peter 3 55.05x
Egham 3 91.74x
Llandrinio 3 1000.00x
Streatham 3 37.04x
Derby St Werburgh 2 20.26x
Limehouse London 2 16.68x
St George Hanover Square 2 10.39x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 4.96x
Burghill 1 196.08x
Crediton 1 46.51x
Exeter St Kerrian 1 625.00x
Greenwich 1 5.75x
Helpringham 1 285.71x
Leicester St Mary 1 10.22x
Moss Side 1 14.66x
Newport 1 26.53x
Northam 1 60.24x
Northfield 1 36.90x
Royal Navy 1 8.98x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 1 96.15x
St Pancras London 1 1.14x
Thorverton 1 285.71x
Willey 1 1666.67x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Embery surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Mary 6
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Emily 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Margaret 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cleomant 1
Edith 1
Elizh. 1
Isabel 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Matilda 1
Prudence 1
Rosabelle 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Embery surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 12
James 5
Samuel 4
William 4
Arthur 3
George 3
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Adolphus 2
Alfred 2
Sidney 2
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Herbert 1
Johns 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Embery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Embery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 106 people were recorded with the Embery surname. That placed it at #19,083 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Embery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Embery a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Embery surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English word "ambrere," meaning someone who traded in amber or amber jewelry.

What does the Embery map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Embery bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.