Emerson is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Emerson means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Emerson across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Emerson has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Emerson is a unisex name of Germanic origin meaning “son of Emery”. A patronymic surname derived from Emery.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 67,571 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,134 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 24 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Emerson per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (3,612/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (93/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (10/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2018 (3/yr).
Emerson has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #168 nationally (given to 3,715 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
Emersyn · Emmerson · Emmersyn · Emersen · Emersynn · Emyrson · Emmersen · Emerzon
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