Emyr
A Welsh masculine name meaning "prince, lord" or "boy shepherd".
Name Census estimates that about 106 living Americans carry the first name Emyr. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Emyr today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emyr births was 2024 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emyr. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Emyr with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
106
~ 1 in 3,233,531 Americans
Peak year
2024
21 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,734
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Emyr: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emyr from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 79 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emyr 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 Emyr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Emyrs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Emyr
The given name Emyr has its origins in the Welsh language and culture. It is derived from the Old Welsh word "ymyr", which means "prince" or "leader". This name was particularly popular among the Welsh nobility and ruling class during the medieval period.
Emyr was a common name among the Welsh princes and kings who ruled over various regions of Wales throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional stories and tales from the Middle Ages. In these texts, Emyr is mentioned as one of the legendary warriors and heroes of ancient Wales.
During the 12th century, Emyr ap Dafydd was a prominent Welsh prince who ruled over the kingdom of Senghenydd in South Wales. He was known for his military prowess and his efforts to defend Welsh independence against the Norman invaders.
In the 13th century, Emyr Llydaw was a renowned Welsh poet and scholar who wrote extensively about the history and culture of Wales. His works are considered important sources of information about the Welsh language and literature of that period.
Another notable figure in Welsh history who bore the name Emyr was Emyr ap Maredudd, a 14th-century Welsh nobleman who played a significant role in the Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr against the English crown.
In more recent times, Emyr Humphreys (1919-2020) was a celebrated Welsh novelist, poet, and academic. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Welsh literature and was awarded numerous honors and accolades for his contributions to the cultural heritage of Wales.
While the name Emyr is firmly rooted in Welsh culture and history, it has also been adopted by people of various backgrounds and nationalities over the years. However, its origins and deep-rooted connections to the rich traditions and legacy of Wales remain a significant part of its meaning and symbolism.
People
Emyr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emyr 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
Emyr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emyr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 106 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emyr 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 3,233,531 US residents.
Is Emyr a common name?
We classify Emyr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 107 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emyr most popular?
The single biggest year for Emyr was 2024, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emyr is about 6 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 Emyr in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Emyr a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emyr 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.
Is Emyr still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Emyr 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 Emyr 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 common is the name Emyr?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Emyr at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.