Find out how popular the last name Em is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Em.

Em, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Em surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Em in America

Em is the 27303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Em surname appeared 885 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Em.

We can also compare 2010 data for Em to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Em

The surname "Em" is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old High German word "eim," which means "home" or "dwelling place." It was likely a descriptive name given to someone who lived in a particular homestead or village.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where an individual named "Heinricus Em" is mentioned in a record from 1289. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the Rhineland region of Germany, such as the "Emen von Coblenz" (Em from Koblenz) mentioned in a document from 1348. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of the German-speaking lands.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name underwent some variations in spelling, including "Emm," "Emme," and "Emen." These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices.

One notable bearer of the name was Johann Em (1486-1542), a German Protestant reformer and theologian from Saxony. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records from the Duchy of Württemberg, where a family named "Em" held land and property. One member of this family, Hans Em (1612-1678), was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Stuttgart.

Another influential figure with the surname "Em" was Johann Jakob Em (1733-1808), a Swiss physician and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology, and his work on the classification of plants and animals was widely recognized.

As the centuries passed, the name "Em" spread to other regions of Europe and beyond, carried by migrants and immigrants. In the 19th century, individuals bearing this surname can be found in records from countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the global diaspora of German-speaking populations.

While the surname "Em" is not among the most common in modern times, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the cultural and linguistic heritage of the German-speaking regions of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Em

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Em.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Em was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Em has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Em was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Em, please contact us.

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