Emmitt
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "entire" or "universal".
Name Census estimates that about 10,396 living Americans carry the first name Emmitt. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Emmitt today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emmitt births was 2019 (571 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emmitt. 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
10K
~ 1 in 32,970 Americans
Peak year
2019
571 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#679
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Emmitt
Out of the 13,906 babies given the name Emmitt since 1880, 100.0% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Emmitt as a male name
- Ranked #679 in 2024
- 400 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (571 births)
Emmitt as a female name
- Ranked #15,972 in 2021
- 5 female births in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (5 births)
Popularity
Emmitt: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emmitt from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 4,385 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Emmitt remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emmitt 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 Emmitt during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Emmitts live
The SSA's state-level files cover 48 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Emmitt, while New Mexico, Hawaii, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 201 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Emmitt
The name Emmitt has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old German word "amat," meaning "work" or "labor." It is a masculine name that first gained popularity in medieval times across various regions of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Emmitt can be found in the Codex Egertonianus, a 9th-century manuscript from the Frankish Empire. The codex contains a list of personal names, including the entry "Emmittus," believed to be a variant spelling of Emmitt.
During the Middle Ages, the name Emmitt was particularly common in England and parts of Germany. It gained further prominence in the 12th century with the rise of the Benedictine monk Emmitt of Canterbury (c. 1120-1180), who was renowned for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable figure bearing the name Emmitt was the English poet and playwright Emmitt Wycliffe (1330-1384), known for his influential role in the translation of the Bible into Middle English. His works played a significant role in the development of the English language.
In the Renaissance period, the name Emmitt was associated with the Italian artist and architect Emmitt Brunelleschi (1377-1446), a key figure in the early Italian Renaissance. His innovative designs, such as the iconic dome of the Florence Cathedral, are considered architectural masterpieces.
The 18th century saw the rise of the Scottish philosopher Emmitt Ferguson (1723-1816), whose essays on moral philosophy and the history of civil society had a profound impact on the Enlightenment era.
Emmitt Smith (born 1969) is perhaps one of the most famous modern bearers of the name. He is a former American football player who played for the Dallas Cowboys and is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.
Overall, the name Emmitt has a rich history spanning centuries and cultures, with notable figures contributing to various fields, including religion, literature, art, architecture, and sports.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Emmitt
People
Emmitt + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emmitt 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
Emmitt: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emmitt?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10,396 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emmitt 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 32,970 US residents.
Is Emmitt a common name?
We classify Emmitt as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13,906 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emmitt most popular?
The single biggest year for Emmitt was 2019, when 571 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emmitt is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Emmitt a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emmitt in the SSA data are male. 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.