Emerson
An English surname meaning 'son of Emery'. Emery itself came from the Germanic name Emmerich, combining amal, 'work' or 'labor', with ric, 'power'.
Emerson in 2025
Emerson was given to 3,612 babies in the United States in 2025 — 1,371 boys and 2,241 girls, making it the 168th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 918 babies born.
The history of Emerson
Emerson reached its highest point in 2025, when 3,612 babies were given the name, ranking 168th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 67,571 babies have been named Emerson. Half of them were born before 2015, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Emerson by decade
| Decade | Babies named Emerson | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 185 | 654 |
| 1890s | 194 | 940 |
| 1900s | 321 | 905 |
| 1910s | 1,751 | 695 |
| 1920s | 2,139 | 781 |
| 1930s | 1,238 | 947 |
| 1940s | 1,092 | 1,112 |
| 1950s | 946 | 1,468 |
| 1960s | 759 | 1,906 |
| 1970s | 680 | 2,229 |
| 1980s | 858 | 2,170 |
| 1990s | 1,683 | 1,296 |
| 2000s | 9,971 | 411 |
| 2010s | 26,816 | 208 |
| 2020s | 18,938 | 168 |
Where Emerson is heading
Emerson has risen 20% over the past decade, from 3,001 babies in 2015 to 3,612 in 2025.
Names like Emerson
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Emerson.