Emagene
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially combining the elements "em" and "gene".
Name Census estimates that about 17 living Americans carry the first name Emagene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Emagene today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emagene births was 1924 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emagene. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Emagene is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Emagenes were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Emagene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
17
~ 1 in 20,162,020 Americans
Peak year
1924
18 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
2016 SSA rank
#17,013
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Emagene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emagene from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 123 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emagene by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Emagene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Emagenes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Emagene
The name Emagene has its roots in the English language, originating in the late 19th century. It is a variation of the name Emmogene, which is a combination of the names Emma and Gene. The prefix "Em" is derived from the Germanic element "ermen," meaning whole or universal, while "gene" comes from the Greek word "genos," meaning race or kind.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Emagene can be found in the 1880 United States Census, where a few individuals were listed with this name. However, it remained relatively uncommon until the early 20th century, when it gained popularity among English-speaking communities.
Historically, there are a few notable individuals who bore the name Emagene. One such person was Emagene Ditmars (1888-1981), an American botanical illustrator and artist known for her detailed drawings of plants and flowers. Another was Emagene Roberts (1900-1988), a Canadian artist and teacher who specialized in portraiture and landscape painting.
In the realm of literature, the name Emagene appeared in the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. One of the characters in the book, a young girl, was named Emagene. This literary reference likely contributed to the name's popularity in the mid-20th century.
Another notable figure was Emagene Trahey (1899-1973), an American film actress who appeared in several silent movies during the 1920s. She is best known for her roles in films such as "The Spanish Dancer" (1923) and "The Temptress" (1926).
In the field of music, Emagene Huff (1915-2003) was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a member of the Grammy Award-winning group, The Fairfield Four, and contributed to the preservation of traditional African American gospel music.
While the name Emagene has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it holds a unique charm and a rich cultural heritage, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped the English language over time.
People
Emagene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emagene as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Emagene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emagene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 17 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emagene going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 20,162,020 US residents.
Is Emagene a common name?
We classify Emagene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 37.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 206 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emagene most popular?
The single biggest year for Emagene was 1924, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emagene is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Emagene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Emagene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emagene in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Emagene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Emagene in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Emagene can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Emagene?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.