Emer
Emer, in modern Irish Eimhear or Éimhear and in Scottish Gaelic Eimhir, is the name of the daughter of Forgall Monach and the wife of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
- Irish Mythology
Meaning & Origin of Emer
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Emer, in modern Irish Eimhear or Éimhear and in Scottish Gaelic Eimhir, is the name of the daughter of Forgall Monach and the wife of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish Mythology
The Story of Emer
As a girl name
American parents first put Emer on the record books as a girl name in 1888, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 10 Emers were born — ranking #9,482 that year. About 36% of every Emer on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Emer last appeared in the published SSA data in 2006, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 77 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Emer as a boy name dates back to 1907, when 5 babies received it. 1907 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Emer — #1,345 in the national rankings. About 40% of every Emer on record arrived during the 1910s, its defining decade. Emer last appeared in the published SSA data in 1992, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 25 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Emer
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Emer. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Éimhear
Names that sound like Emer
Phonetically similar names — useful when Emer is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Emer
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About the name Emer
Emer is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1888 and has accumulated 77 births in the dataset. Emer's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #9,482. Use the chart and map above to compare Emer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.