NameCensus.

UK surname

Emmons

Derived from the Old English personal name "Eadmund," meaning "rich protector" or "wealthy defender."

In the 1881 census there were 112 people recorded with the Emmons surname, ranking it #18,501 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, down from #18,501 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Branston and Collingham, South. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochford, Fareham and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Emmons is 230 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.9%.

1881 census count

112

Ranked #18,501

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

2010

230 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Emmons had 112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,501 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Emmons surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Emmons surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Emmons 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 96 #21,648
1881 historical 112 #18,501
1891 historical 125 #20,713
1901 historical 145 #18,426
1911 historical 154 #17,553
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 219 #17,203
2000 modern 226 #16,840
2001 modern 223 #16,765
2002 modern 225 #16,994
2003 modern 217 #17,176
2004 modern 213 #17,492
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 206 #18,300
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 230 #17,750
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 208 #18,720
2013 modern 218 #18,441
2014 modern 215 #18,764
2015 modern 212 #18,842
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

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Where Emmons' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Branston, Collingham, South, Goring and Southwell, Farnsfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochford, Fareham, Hammersmith and Fulham and Solihull. 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 Branston Lincolnshire
3 Collingham, South Nottinghamshire
4 Goring Berkshire
5 Southwell, Farnsfield Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochford 006 Rochford
2 Rochford 010 Rochford
3 Fareham 011 Fareham
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 015 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Solihull 029 Solihull

Forenames

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First names often paired with Emmons

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Emmons

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Emmons, 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 Emmons surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Emmons 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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Emmons is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Emmons is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Emmons falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Emmons 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 Emmons, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Emmons

The surname EMMONS is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "eme" meaning "uncle" and "mund" meaning "protection" or "guardian." It is believed to have originated in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The name was initially widespread in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk in East Anglia, where many early bearers of the name were recorded. It is thought that the name was originally an occupational surname given to those who acted as guardians or caretakers for children whose parents had passed away.

One of the earliest known records of the name EMMONS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Emunus" and "Emundes." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land ownership and taxation in England.

In the 13th century, the surname EMMONS appeared in various forms, such as "Eymundes," "Eymondes," and "Eymunds," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. One notable bearer of the name was John Emunds, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1205.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name became more standardized as "Emmons" or "Emmonds." One notable figure from this period was Richard Emmons, a merchant and alderman of London, who was born in 1568 and died in 1636.

In the 18th century, the EMMONS surname gained prominence in the American colonies, with many immigrants from England settling in New England and other regions. One notable American bearer of the name was Ebenezer Emmons (1701-1779), a minister and educator who served as the first president of Harvard College.

Another notable figure was Nathaniel Emmons (1745-1840), a prominent Congregationalist minister and theologian in Massachusetts. He was known for his influential sermons and writings on Calvinism and the doctrine of divine sovereignty.

In the 19th century, the EMMONS name continued to be well-represented in various fields. Samuel Franklin Emmons (1841-1911) was an American geologist and mining engineer who made significant contributions to the study of ore deposits and mining geology.

Ebenezer Emmons (1799-1863) was an American geologist and naturalist who conducted extensive geological surveys in North Carolina and served as the state's first geologist.

Overall, the surname EMMONS has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been carried by notable individuals in various professions, from clergy and education to geology and commerce.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Emmons families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Emmons 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. Essex leads with 26 Emmons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.06x.

County Total Index
Essex 26 12.06x
Lincolnshire 14 8.02x
Middlesex 12 1.10x
Lancashire 11 0.85x
Berkshire 8 9.76x
Oxfordshire 8 11.86x
Wiltshire 8 8.28x
Derbyshire 6 3.51x
Nottinghamshire 6 4.08x
Cheshire 4 1.66x
Surrey 4 0.75x
Warwickshire 3 1.09x
Staffordshire 2 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bow London in Middlesex leads with 8 Emmons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.51x.

Place Total Index
Bow London 8 57.51x
Goring 8 2051.28x
Haydor 8 5714.29x
Toxteth Park 8 18.23x
West Ham 8 16.81x
Bowers Gifford 7 10000.00x
Seend 7 3684.21x
Southchurch 7 3500.00x
South Collingham 6 2068.97x
Tupton 6 1176.47x
Church Lawton 4 1290.32x
Newington 4 9.91x
Reading St Giles 4 49.75x
Ardwick 3 25.66x
Burghfield 3 625.00x
Islington London 3 2.83x
Leamington Priors 3 44.25x
Branston 2 370.37x
Canwick 2 2222.22x
Leek Lowe 2 40.73x
Skellingthorpe 2 740.74x
Aldermaston 1 500.00x
Baydon 1 909.09x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.11x
Horndon On Hill 1 454.55x
Prittlewell 1 33.44x
South Fambridge 1 3333.33x
Springfield 1 106.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Ada 4
Ann 4
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 3
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Addie 1
Adeline 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth.W. 1
Ella 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Enna 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lettie 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Minnie 1
Nova 1
Rachel 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 7
George 5
Richard 4
Walter 4
Charles 3
James 3
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
Jacob 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
David 1
Ezra 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Lary 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Vivian 1

FAQ

Emmons surname: questions and answers

How common was the Emmons surname in 1881?

In 1881, 112 people were recorded with the Emmons surname. That placed it at #18,501 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Emmons surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Emmons a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Emmons surname mean?

Derived from the Old English personal name "Eadmund," meaning "rich protector" or "wealthy defender."

What does the Emmons map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Emmons 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.