Embry
An English name of uncertain etymology, potentially related to embers or ashes.
Name Census estimates that about 969 living Americans carry the first name Embry. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 64.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Embry today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Embry births was 2010 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Embry. 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
- • Embry sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
969
~ 1 in 353,720 Americans
Peak year
2010
75 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,050
Tracked since 1898
Gender
Gender distribution for Embry
Embry is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,065 total registrations, 379 (35.6%) were male and 686 (64.4%) were female.
Embry as a male name
- Ranked #8,493 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2010 (39 births)
Embry as a female name
- Ranked #4,050 in 2024
- 36 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (65 births)
Popularity
Embry: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Embry from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 654 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Embry remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Embry 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 Embry during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Embrys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Embry, while Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Embry
The given name Embry has its origins in the Old English language, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "eambyrig," which means "a town or village belonging to someone named Eama." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a specific location or settlement associated with an individual named Eama.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Embry can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Embree" and "Embrey," indicating its use in medieval England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the first name Embry. One such figure was Embry Oudernaerde (c. 1450-1515), a Flemish painter and manuscript illuminator active during the Renaissance period. His works, including religious manuscripts and altarpieces, can be found in various collections across Europe.
Another prominent individual was Embry Williams (1905-1977), an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the Holiday Inn hotel chain and played a significant role in the hospitality industry's growth in the mid-20th century.
In the realm of sports, Embry Riddle (1913-1994) was an American football player who played as a halfback for the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1930s.
The name Embry also has literary connections. Embry Cargill (1880-1944) was an American author and playwright known for works such as "The Single Track" and "Harlequin." His plays were performed on Broadway during the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Embry Carr (1867-1939), an English solicitor and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Camborne from 1910 to 1918.
While the name Embry has its roots in Old English and has been documented throughout various historical periods, its usage has been relatively uncommon compared to other given names. However, it remains a unique and intriguing name with a rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
People
Embry + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Embry 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
Embry: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Embry?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 969 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Embry 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 353,720 US residents.
Is Embry a common name?
We classify Embry as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,065 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Embry most popular?
The single biggest year for Embry was 2010, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Embry is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Embry a female name?
Yes, 64.4% of people registered as Embry 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.
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.