2000
#63,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Embery
A surname derived from the Middle English word "ambrere," meaning someone who traded in amber or amber jewelry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 424 Americans carry the last name Embery. That puts it at #59,100 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 808,383 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Embery surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Embery with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
424
1 in 808,383
Census rank
#59,100
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
370
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 370 bearers of the surname Embery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 59100th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Embery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.6%. The next largest groups are White (43.0%) and Two or More Races (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Embery
The surname EMBERY originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "emberie," which referred to an embankment or raised earthwork, often used as a defensive fortification.
In the medieval period, the EMBERY name was concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where many of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1199, which mention a certain Robert de Emberie.
The name is also found in various historic documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Embury." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.
One notable bearer of the EMBERY surname was John Embery, a prominent merchant and alderman who lived in Bristol in the 15th century. Records indicate that he served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1472 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.
Another noteworthy individual with the EMBERY name was Sir William Embery, a Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Westbury in Wiltshire during the late 16th century. He was born in 1548 and played an active role in the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the EMBERY surname can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. One example is Thomas Embery, who was born in 1624 in the village of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and served as a local magistrate and landowner.
Another notable bearer of the EMBERY name was Captain John Embery, a British naval officer who served during the 18th century. He was born in 1712 and gained recognition for his role in several naval engagements, including the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.
As the centuries progressed, the EMBERY surname spread across England and beyond, with some bearers of the name eventually emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Embery
Among Census respondents with the surname Embery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.6%. The next largest groups are White (43.0%) and Two or More Races (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Embery bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Embery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American44.6% · 165
- White43.0% · 159
- Two or more races8.6% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Embery
Embery appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#60,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 334
+39 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 2,950 places
2020
#59,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 370
+36 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 1,247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,297 | 295 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,347 | 334 | 0.11 | +39 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 2,950 places |
| 2020 | #59,100 | 370 | 0.12 | +36 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 1,247 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Embery surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #60,347 | #59,100 | 2.1% |
| Count | 334 | 370 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.12 | 12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Embery bearers went from 334 to 370 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 1,247 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,347 to #59,100.
FAQ
Embery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Embery?
Name Census estimates that about 424 living Americans carry the surname Embery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 808,383 residents.
How common is Embery?
Embery ranks #59,100 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 370 people with the surname Embery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (424), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Embery.
Has Embery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Embery went from 334 recorded bearers to 370. That is an increase of 36 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #60,347 to #59,100.
What does the Census say about the background of Embery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Embery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.6%. The next largest groups are White (43.0%) and Two or More Races (8.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Embery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.6% (165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Embery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (44.6%), White (43.0%), Two or More Races (8.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Embery (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Embery mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "ambrere," meaning someone who traded in amber or amber jewelry. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Embery (0.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Embery?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.