boy's name
Emmett
EM-it
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 88,001
the United States
#121
2025 births
Emmett is a boy's name of English origin derived from Emma — it is a matronymic surname, formed from a woman's name rather than a man's, which was unusual in medieval England.
- Emmett is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 3,681 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,115 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Emmett over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 901 |
| 1890s | 1,136 |
| 1900s | 1,187 |
| 1910s | 4,201 |
| 1920s | 5,473 |
| 1930s | 3,559 |
| 1940s | 3,443 |
| 1950s | 2,993 |
| 1960s | 2,032 |
| 1970s | 1,334 |
| 1980s | 1,072 |
| 1990s | 1,640 |
| 2000s | 4,070 |
| 2010s | 26,275 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 19,556 |
What Emmett means
Emmett means son of Emma, and Emma means "whole" or "universal," from the Germanic ermen. Sources offering "truth" are reading it as the Hebrew emet, an unrelated word.
Where Emmett comes from
Emmett comes from a medieval English diminutive of Emma — Emmet or Emmott — used as a personal name and then hardened into a surname. Surnames formed from a mother's name are notably rare in English, since the convention was patronymic, and their existence usually indicates a woman of standing or a household where she was the identifying figure. Emma itself comes from the Old High German ermen, meaning whole or universal. A separate and coincidental line connects Emmett to the Hebrew emet, meaning truth, which appears in Jewish naming but is not the surname's origin. Its American use owes much to Emmett Till, whose 1955 murder became a defining moment of the civil rights movement.
Emmett in use
Emmett is one of very few English surnames formed from a mother's name rather than a father's.
How popular is Emmett?
In 2025, Emmett was given to 2,973 babies in the United States, ranking #121 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Emmett 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 Emmett
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Emmett also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Emmett over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Emmett
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.
Emmett 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 Emmett
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Emmett — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Emmett
What does the name Emmett mean?
Emmett means "son of Emma," and Emma means whole or universal.
Is Emmett related to Emma?
Yes. It is a matronymic surname formed from the medieval diminutive of Emma.
Does Emmett mean truth?
That comes from the Hebrew emet, a coincidental resemblance rather than the surname's origin.
How popular is the name Emmett?
In 2025, Emmett was given to 2,973 babies in the United States, ranking #121 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Emmett a girl's or a boy's name?
Emmett is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Emmett?
Emmett has 2 syllables.
When was Emmett most popular?
Emmett peaked in 2021, when 3,681 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Emmett?
Emmett is usually shortened to Emmie and Emme.
Is Emmett a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Emmett currently ranks #98 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.