Emperor
An emperor is the (male) ruler of an empire. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife, mother/grandmother, or a woman who rules in her own right and name. Emperors are generally recognised to be of the highest monarchic honour and rank, surpassing kings.
Meaning & Origin of Emperor
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
An emperor is the (male) ruler of an empire. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife, mother/grandmother, or a woman who rules in her own right and name. Emperors are generally recognised to be of the highest monarchic honour and rank, surpassing kings.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Emperor
Emperor first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2008, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 15 Emperors were born — ranking #5,774 that year. As of 2026, Emperor ranks #7,657 for baby boys with 7 births, falling sharply (-35%). In total, more than 117 Emperors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Emperor
Phonetically similar names — useful when Emperor is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Empereur
- Empire
- Emporer
- Emperors
- Temperer
- Empery
- Empair
- Ember
- Embers
- Umpire
- Impair
- Emptor
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Emperor
What does the name Emperor mean?
How popular is Emperor in 2026?
When was Emperor most popular?
Is Emperor a unisex name?
What names go well with Emperor?
About the name Emperor
Emperor is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2008 and has accumulated 117 births in the dataset. Emperor's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #5,774. Use the chart and map above to compare Emperor's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.