girl's name
Ember
EM-bər
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 25,957
the United States
#154
2025 births
Ember is a girl's name of Old English origin taken from the word for a glowing coal, from æmyrge. It is one of the newest nature names in wide use, and is often chosen as a sound-alike for Amber rather than for its meaning.
- Ember is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 2,222 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,668 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1946.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ember over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 8 |
| 1950s | 17 |
| 1960s | 71 |
| 1970s | 285 |
| 1980s | 463 |
| 1990s | 629 |
| 2000s | 1,610 |
| 2010s | 8,754 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 11,235 |
What Ember means
Ember means a small live coal — the remnant of a fire still giving heat. The word describes what survives after the flame rather than the fire itself, which is the sense parents usually intend.
Where Ember comes from
Ember comes from the Old English æmyrge, a smoldering coal, related to the Old Norse eimyrja. It is unconnected to Amber, which is Arabic in origin — anbar, ambergris — despite the two being constantly grouped together, and much of Ember's recent use appears to be as a fresher-sounding alternative to it. The separate ember days of the church calendar, four sets of fast days, come from an entirely different root, the Old English ymbren, meaning a period or circuit.
Ember in use
Our data shows Ember peaking in 2024 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1946 — though it was effectively unused until the 2000s. It belongs to the current wave of word-names drawn from fire and weather, alongside Rain, Aurora, Sky and Winter.
How popular is Ember?
In 2025, Ember was given to 1,988 babies in the United States, ranking #154 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Ember is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ember
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ember also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ember over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ember
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ember in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ember
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ember — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ember
What does the name Ember mean?
Ember is the word for a glowing coal, from the Old English æmyrge.
Are Ember and Amber related?
No. Amber comes from the Arabic anbar, ambergris. The two are constantly grouped but have no shared root.
Is Ember a new name?
Effectively. Our records show it from 1946 but it was barely used until the 2000s.
How popular is the name Ember?
In 2025, Ember was given to 1,988 babies in the United States, ranking #154 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Ember a girl's or a boy's name?
Ember is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ember?
Ember has 2 syllables.
When was Ember most popular?
Ember peaked in 2024, when 2,222 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ember?
Ember is usually shortened to Emmy.
Is Ember a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ember currently ranks #154 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.