Emerson
Emerson is an English given name, a transferred use of an English surname coming either from Anglo-Saxon Emars sunu, "Emar's son," or from "Emery's son." It is in use for both boys and girls. Spelling variants such as Emersyn are also in regular use.
Meaning & Origin of Emerson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Emerson is an English given name, a transferred use of an English surname coming either from Anglo-Saxon Emars sunu, "Emar's son," or from "Emery's son." It is in use for both boys and girls. Spelling variants such as Emersyn are also in regular use.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Emerson
As a girl name
Emerson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1993, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 1,978 Emersons were born — ranking #150 that year. As of 2026, Emerson ranks #155 for girls with 1,928 births, holding steady (0%). In total, more than 36K Emersons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Emerson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 25 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 1,343 Emersons were born — ranking #269 that year. As of 2026, Emerson ranks #270 for boys with 1,268 births, holding steady (-1%). In total, more than 35K Emersons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Emerson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Emerson 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 Emerson
What does the name Emerson mean?
How popular is Emerson in 2026?
When was Emerson most popular?
In which U.S. states is Emerson most popular?
Is Emerson a unisex name?
What names go well with Emerson?
About the name Emerson
Emerson is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1993 and has accumulated 36K births in the dataset. Emerson's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #143. Use the chart and map above to compare Emerson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.