Emslee
A feminine name of Old English origin meaning "flat meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 92 living Americans carry the first name Emslee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Emslee today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emslee births was 2018 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emslee. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Emslee. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
92
~ 1 in 3,725,591 Americans
Peak year
2018
13 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,737
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Emslee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emslee from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 67 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Emslee remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emslee 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 Emslee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Emslee
The name Emslee has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically from an Old English word meaning "flat meadow" or "open field." It is believed to have emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD. The name was initially spelled as "Æmesleah" or "Æmeslēah," which later evolved into the modern form of "Emslee" or "Emsley."
In ancient times, the name Emslee was often used to refer to geographical locations that were characterized by flat, open meadows or clearings. It was a descriptive term that helped identify specific areas or settlements. However, there is no record of the name appearing in any major ancient texts or religious scriptures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emslee dates back to the 12th century, when it was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name was listed as a place name in various regions of the country.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Emslee. One of the most prominent figures was Sir William Emslee (1582-1649), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another notable Emslee was John Emslee (1623-1674), a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious conflicts of the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, there was Samuel Emslee (1720-1789), a renowned English engraver and artist known for his intricate copperplate engravings and illustrations. During the same period, Elizabeth Emslee (1738-1816) was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement, campaigning against the slave trade and advocating for the rights of enslaved Africans.
Moving into the 19th century, William Emslee (1813-1876) was a British inventor and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives. He held several patents for his innovative designs and played a crucial role in the industrialization of Britain.
While the name Emslee has its roots in Old English and has been present throughout various periods of history, it has never been a widely popular name. However, it has maintained a unique and distinctive character, reflecting its origins in the ancient Germanic languages and its association with the natural landscapes of Britain.
People
Emslee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emslee 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
Emslee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emslee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 92 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emslee 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 3,725,591 US residents.
Is Emslee a common name?
We classify Emslee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 93 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emslee most popular?
The single biggest year for Emslee was 2018, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emslee is about 9 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 Emslee in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Emslee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emslee 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 Emslee still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Emslee 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 Emslee 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 people share the name Emslee?
Find out how many Americans are named Emslee on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.