Unisex name · Germanic
Emery
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: Norman form of Emmerich, whose second part means rulerEmery is a gender-neutral name that comes from Germanic and means "Norman form of Emmerich, whose second part means ruler". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Norman form of Emmerich, whose second part means ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #74 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Emery
As a gender-neutral name, Emery comes from Germanic and means "Norman form of Emmerich, whose second part means ruler". It is used in English.
Emery is also a surname: the 1,416th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 24,499 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Emery?
In 2025, 3,208 girls and 305 boys in the US were named Emery.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #74
- 3,208 babies, 1,996 per million girls
- Best rank
- #70 in 2023
- Most babies: 3,208 in 2025
- Babies since 1906
- At least 43,837
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 2 per million |
| 1910s | 1 per million |
| 1920s | 4 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 1 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 10 per million |
| 1990s | 32 per million |
| 2000s | 192 per million |
| 2010s | 1,198 per million |
| 2020s | 1,892 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130 | #115 | #94 | #93 | #89 | #90 | #82 | #70 | #70 | #74 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #815
- 305 babies, 179 per million boys
- Best rank
- #209 in 1881
- Most babies: 367 in 2012
- Babies since 1880
- At least 20,412
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 410 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 367 per million |
| 1900s | 293 per million |
| 1910s | 307 per million |
| 1920s | 226 per million |
| 1930s | 157 per million |
| 1940s | 92 per million |
| 1950s | 63 per million |
| 1960s | 57 per million |
| 1970s | 45 per million |
| 1980s | 42 per million |
| 1990s | 41 per million |
| 2000s | 83 per million |
| 2010s | 175 per million |
| 2020s | 190 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #718 | #771 | #774 | #735 | #739 | #771 | #727 | #749 | #820 | #815 |
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 Emery
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- EmilyRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- EmmyWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- EbereMercy, kindness (Igbo, girl)
- EeroEver ruler, Finnish form of Eric (Old Norse, boy)
- ElleryCheerful, happy (Latin, unisex)
- ElmerNoble, famous (Old English, boy)
- EmberGlowing coal (Old English, girl)
- EmekaGreat deeds (Igbo, boy)
- EmelWish, aspiration (Arabic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- DerekRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DirkRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DonalWorld ruler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- EricaEver ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- ErikaEternal ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- EuricEternal ruler (Gothic, boy)
- FedericoPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FrederickPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Emery
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AmbroseImmortal one (Greek, boy)
- DennisOf Dionysus (Greek, boy)
- FenellaWhite shoulder (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- JosiahYahweh supports (Hebrew, boy)
- LaurelBay tree, a symbol of victory (Latin, girl)
- LaurenceFrom Laurentum, a Roman town (Latin, boy)
- MadelineWoman from Magdala (Hebrew, girl)
- NathanielGod has given (Hebrew, boy)
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)
Emery: common questions
What does the name Emery mean?
Emery comes from Germanic and means "Norman form of Emmerich, whose second part means ruler".
Is Emery a boy or girl name?
Emery is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 3,208 girls and 305 boys in the US were named Emery, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Emery come from?
Emery comes from Germanic and means "Norman form of Emmerich, whose second part means ruler". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Emery?
Emery ranked #74 in the US in 2025, with 3,208 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Emery?
Names spelled like Emery include Emily, Emmy, Ebere, Eero and Ellery.
What middle names go with Emery?
Middle names that flow well with Emery include Ambrose, Dennis, Fenella, Josiah and Laurel. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.