UK surname
A transferred use of the given name Emily, meaning "industrious" or "laborious".
In the 1881 census there were 43 people recorded with the Emily surname, ranking it #27,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 63, ranked #34,163, down from #27,575 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Otley, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Emily is 297 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.5%.
1881 census count
43
Ranked #27,575
Modern count
63
2016, ranked #34,163
Peak year
1911
297 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Emily surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Emily surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 71 | #20,875 |
| 1861 | historical | 240 | #10,226 |
| 1881 | historical | 43 | #27,575 |
| 1891 | historical | 81 | #26,632 |
| 1901 | historical | 36 | #30,099 |
| 1911 | historical | 297 | #11,524 |
| 1997 | modern | 11 | #36,912 |
| 1998 | modern | 6 | #37,703 |
| 1999 | modern | 7 | #37,513 |
| 2000 | modern | 3 | #38,248 |
| 2001 | modern | 4 | #37,862 |
| 2002 | modern | 9 | #37,051 |
| 2003 | modern | 10 | #36,964 |
| 2004 | modern | 7 | #37,496 |
| 2005 | modern | 11 | #37,065 |
| 2006 | modern | 14 | #36,801 |
| 2007 | modern | 15 | #36,793 |
| 2008 | modern | 22 | #36,281 |
| 2009 | modern | 17 | #36,753 |
| 2010 | modern | 25 | #36,273 |
| 2011 | modern | 27 | #36,136 |
| 2012 | modern | 35 | #35,645 |
| 2013 | modern | 42 | #35,325 |
| 2014 | modern | 50 | #34,927 |
| 2015 | modern | 50 | #34,886 |
| 2016 | modern | 63 | #34,163 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Otley, London parishes, Gateshead and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otley | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 2 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 3 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 4 | Gateshead | Durham |
| 5 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Emily surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Emily, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Emily surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Emily household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Emily is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Emily is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Emily, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Emily does not have a long-established history as a family name, but rather originated as a given name derived from the Old German word "amal" meaning "labor" or "industrious." The name Emily first emerged during the medieval period in parts of Europe, particularly France and Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emily can be found in the 12th century French epic poem "The Song of Roland," where a character named Aemilie is mentioned. However, this was likely a romanticized version of the name used for literary purposes rather than an actual surname.
It wasn't until the 16th and 17th centuries that Emily began to gain popularity as a given name, particularly among the nobility and upper classes in England. One notable figure from this period was Emily Montagu (1692-1788), a British author and poet who was part of the literary circle known as the Bluestockings.
In the 18th century, the name Emily became more widespread across various social classes in England and other parts of Europe. During this time, it began to be adopted as a surname, albeit infrequently. One early example is Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), the renowned American poet who is considered one of the most influential figures in English literature.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Emily continued to be used primarily as a given name, with some instances of it being adopted as a surname. One notable figure from this period was Emily Carr (1871-1945), a Canadian artist and writer who is known for her remarkable depictions of the indigenous peoples and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
Another significant figure with the surname Emily was Emily Wilding Davison (1872-1913), a British suffragette who famously sacrificed her life for the women's suffrage movement by stepping in front of King George V's horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913.
While not a common surname, Emily has been carried on by a few notable individuals throughout history, such as Emily Greene Balch (1867-1961), an American writer and pacifist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946, and Emily Hahn (1905-1997), an American writer and adventurer who was one of the first female explorers to travel extensively in the remote regions of China and Mongolia.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Emily surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 7 Emilys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.31x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 7 | 1.31x |
| Derbyshire | 6 | 8.54x |
| Durham | 6 | 4.49x |
| Nottinghamshire | 6 | 9.92x |
| Cumberland | 4 | 10.35x |
| Yorkshire | 4 | 0.90x |
| Channel Islands | 3 | 22.56x |
| Essex | 2 | 2.26x |
| Kent | 2 | 1.31x |
| Angus | 1 | 2.41x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 1.01x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 1.28x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 1.09x |
| Middlesex | 1 | 0.22x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 1.50x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bulwell in Nottinghamshire leads with 6 Emilys recorded in 1881 and an index of 458.02x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bulwell | 6 | 458.02x |
| Derby St Peter | 6 | 267.86x |
| Everton | 5 | 29.46x |
| Ryhope | 5 | 537.63x |
| Hayton | 4 | 1818.18x |
| Hipperholme Cum | 3 | 153.85x |
| Trinity | 3 | 967.74x |
| Birch | 2 | 1333.33x |
| Lewisham | 2 | 24.51x |
| Liverpool | 2 | 6.18x |
| Chipping Barnet | 1 | 833.33x |
| Dundee | 1 | 6.44x |
| Ecclesall Bierlow | 1 | 11.06x |
| Farnborough | 1 | 103.09x |
| Knutsford Nether | 1 | 166.67x |
| Newcastle On Tyne St | 1 | 28.90x |
| Newton Nottage | 1 | 476.19x |
| Sunderland | 1 | 42.37x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Emily surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Emily surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Emily households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 8 |
| Miner (Other) | 2 |
| (Spinner) | 1 |
| Annuitant Employing 2 Maids | 1 |
| Boot Maker | 1 |
| Bricklayers Lab | 1 |
| Cotton Dyer | 1 |
| Cotton Dyer Wife | 1 |
| Courier (Other Dom 4/2) | 1 |
| Field Lab | 1 |
| Governess | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Independent | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labr | 1 |
| Land Proprietor Annuitant | 1 |
| Land Proprietor Of 15 Acres | 1 |
| Mason | 1 |
| Private | 1 |
| Stone Geter | 1 |
| Telegraph Laborer ( Teleg Serv ) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 43 people were recorded with the Emily surname. That placed it at #27,575 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 63 in 2016. That gives Emily a modern rank of #34,163.
A transferred use of the given name Emily, meaning "industrious" or "laborious".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Emily bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.