Emmelyn
A feminine given name derived from the Germanic word "amal," meaning "labor, work."
Name Census estimates that about 605 living Americans carry the first name Emmelyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Emmelyn today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emmelyn births was 2014 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emmelyn. 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.
People living today
605
~ 1 in 566,536 Americans
Peak year
2014
51 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,045
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Emmelyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emmelyn from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 383 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Emmelyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emmelyn 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 Emmelyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Emmelyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Emmelyn, while Ohio, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Emmelyn
Emmelyn is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the Germanic elements "erm" meaning "whole" or "universal" and "lind" meaning "soft" or "tender." The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with its earliest known usage in the 13th century.
The name Emmelyn was particularly popular in medieval England, where it was often spelled as Emmeline or Emeline. It is believed to have been inspired by the Old French name Ameline, which had a similar meaning and pronunciation.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Emmelyn can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, including Emelina and Emelyne, indicating its widespread use at the time.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Emmelyn. One of the earliest was Emmelyn de Lacy (c. 1240 - c. 1310), an English noblewoman and heiress to the earldom of Lincoln. Another notable Emmelyn was EmmelynУдeльфонс (c. 1300 - c. 1370), a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris.
In the 16th century, Emmelyn Boleyn (c. 1486 - c. 1536) was a courtier and aunt of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. During the same period, Emmelyn Tailboys (c. 1520 - c. 1580) was an English noblewoman and heiress who played a significant role in the political intrigues of the Tudor court.
Moving forward to the 17th century, Emmelyn Digby (c. 1605 - c. 1679) was an English writer and philosopher who advocated for women's education and participated in the intellectual circles of her time.
While Emmelyn has remained a relatively uncommon name throughout history, it has continued to be used sporadically across various cultures and regions, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. Its enduring appeal can be attributed to its soft, melodic sound and its rich historical roots.
People
Emmelyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emmelyn 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
Emmelyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emmelyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 605 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emmelyn 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 566,536 US residents.
Is Emmelyn a common name?
We classify Emmelyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 610 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emmelyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Emmelyn was 2014, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emmelyn is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Emmelyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emmelyn 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.