girl's name · in the US
Emery
EM-er-ee (English)
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl (US)
- Syllables 3
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 68,175
the United States
#74
2025 births
Emery is a name of Germanic origin, from Emmerich, generally analyzed as combining elements meaning work or power with ric, meaning ruler. It is unrelated to emery the abrasive, which comes from a Greek word by a separate route.
- Emery is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 3,513 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 944 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Emery started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Emery Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 449 |
| 1890s | 419 |
| 1900s | 403 |
| 1910s | 2,058 |
| 1920s | 2,541 |
| 1930s | 1,669 |
| 1940s | 1,373 |
| 1950s | 1,289 |
| 1960s | 1,107 |
| 1970s | 790 |
| 1980s | 944 |
| 1990s | 1,360 |
| 2000s | 5,215 |
| 2010s | 24,253 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 20,379 |
What Emery Means
Emery means something like industrious ruler or powerful ruler, depending on which Germanic first element is preferred. Reference sources give industrious, powerful and ruler in various combinations because they disagree about that element, not about the second.
Where Emery Comes From
Emery descends from the Germanic Emmerich, whose second element is ric, meaning ruler or power, and whose first is variously identified as amal, work, or ermen, whole and universal — hence the range of glosses. Norman French brought it to England as Emeri and Aimeri, where it became both a given name and the surname behind Emerson, meaning son of Emery. The abrasive mineral emery is entirely unconnected, coming from the Greek smyris by way of the island of Naxos. Emery was historically a male name and has moved toward girls in recent American use, following the same path as Avery and Emerson.
Emery in Use
Emery the name and emery the abrasive are unrelated — one Germanic, one Greek.
How Popular Is Emery?
In 2025, Emery was given to 3,513 babies in the United States, ranking #74 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Emery 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.
How Emery Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Émery | Émery is a rare spelling of Emery, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Emery
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Emery Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Emery over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Emery is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Girls' 90% girls · 32,797 babies
- Canada Both 72% girls · 2,039 babies
- England & Wales Both 52% girls · 188 babies
- France Boys' 6% girls · 85 babies
How to Say Emery
- English EM-er-ee /ˈɛməri/
Emery 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 Emery
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Emery — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Emery
What does the name Emery mean?
Emery combines a Germanic element meaning work or power with ric, meaning ruler.
Is Emery a boy's or a girl's name?
Historically male, it has moved toward girls in recent American use.
Is Emery related to the abrasive?
No. Emery the mineral comes from a Greek word by a completely separate route.
How popular is the name Emery?
In 2025, Emery was given to 3,513 babies in the United States, ranking #74 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Emery?
Emery has 3 syllables.
When was Emery most popular?
Emery peaked in 2025, when 3,513 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Emery a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Emery currently ranks #74 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.