Unisex name · Germanic
Emerson
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: son of EmeryEmerson is a gender-neutral name that comes from a Germanic surname meaning "son of Emery". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Son of Emery
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #122 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Emerson
As a gender-neutral name, Emerson comes from a Germanic surname meaning "son of Emery". It is used in English.
Emerson is also a surname: the 1,182nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 29,261 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Emerson on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Emerson on 2 lists.
“Son of Emery; English surname, writer Ralph Waldo's last name”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
“Son of Emery, an old Germanic name”
From Pretty last names, pretty last names
How popular is Emerson?
In 2025, 2,241 girls and 1,371 boys in the US were named Emerson.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #122
- 2,241 babies, 1,394 per million girls
- Best rank
- #122 in 2025
- 2,241 babies that year
- Babies since 1993
- At least 34,050
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 20 per million |
| 2000s | 336 per million |
| 2010s | 928 per million |
| 2020s | 1,156 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #161 | #150 | #143 | #152 | #155 | #168 | #170 | #161 | #151 | #122 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #254
- 1,371 babies, 803 per million boys
- Best rank
- #254 in 2025
- 1,371 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 33,521
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 169 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 170 per million |
| 1900s | 236 per million |
| 1910s | 262 per million |
| 1920s | 194 per million |
| 1930s | 117 per million |
| 1940s | 73 per million |
| 1950s | 47 per million |
| 1960s | 39 per million |
| 1970s | 41 per million |
| 1980s | 46 per million |
| 1990s | 68 per million |
| 2000s | 189 per million |
| 2010s | 563 per million |
| 2020s | 742 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #295 | #276 | #284 | #269 | #268 | #277 | #274 | #268 | #270 | #254 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Emerson
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- EmersynVariant of Emerson, from a surname meaning son of Emery (English, girl)
Middle names for Emerson
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
Emerson: common questions
What does the name Emerson mean?
Emerson comes from a Germanic surname meaning "son of Emery".
Is Emerson a boy or girl name?
Emerson is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 2,241 girls and 1,371 boys in the US were named Emerson, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Emerson come from?
Emerson comes from a Germanic surname meaning "son of Emery". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Emerson?
Emerson ranked #122 in the US in 2025, with 2,241 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Emerson?
Names spelled like Emerson include Emersyn.
What middle names go with Emerson?
Middle names that flow well with Emerson include Agnes, Bess, Clark, Faith and Honor. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.