2000
#8,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,455
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Embrey
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Emm's stronghold" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,030 Americans carry the last name Embrey. That puts it at #8,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Embrey 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 Embrey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,051
Census rank
#8,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,514 bearers of the surname Embrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Embrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Embrey
The surname Embrey has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Embrough, located in the county of Somerset. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "emme" meaning "ant" and "burgh" meaning "fortified place," suggesting a connection to an ant-hill or an ant-infested location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Emmeburgh." This historical document, also known as the Rotuli Hundredorum, was a survey of landholdings conducted during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the records of the Subsidy Rolls for the county of Somerset, where it was listed as "de Emmeburgh." This variation of the name indicates that it was originally a place name, with the prefix "de" meaning "of" or "from."
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the name Embrey. However, it does mention the village of Embrough, which was likely the origin of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Embrey was John Embrey, who was born in Gloucester, England, around 1520. He was a prominent merchant and landowner during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Sir William Embrey (1583-1652), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He was known for his involvement in the defense of the city of Gloucester against the Royalist forces.
In the 18th century, the name Embrey was associated with the village of Amberley, located in the county of Gloucestershire. This may have influenced the spelling variation "Amberley" or "Amberley-Embrey," which was used by some families.
During the 19th century, James Embrey (1821-1892), a British engineer and inventor, gained recognition for his contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
Another notable individual was Elizabeth Embrey (1861-1934), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom.
Throughout its history, the surname Embrey has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, where it is believed to have originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Embrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Embrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Embrey 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 Embrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 2,998
- Black or African American5.0% · 176
- Two or more races4.5% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 140
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Embrey
Embrey 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
#8,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,681
+226 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 135 places
2020
#8,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,514
-167 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,759 | 3,455 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,894 | 3,681 | 1.25 | +226 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 135 places |
| 2020 | #8,935 | 3,514 | 1.18 | -167 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 41 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 Embrey 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 | #8,894 | #8,935 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,681 | 3,514 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.18 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Embrey bearers went from 3,681 to 3,514 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,894 to #8,935.
FAQ
Embrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Embrey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,030 living Americans carry the surname Embrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,051 residents.
How common is Embrey?
Embrey ranks #8,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,514 people with the surname Embrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,030), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Embrey.
Has Embrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Embrey went from 3,681 recorded bearers to 3,514. That is a decrease of 167 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,894 to #8,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Embrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Embrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Embrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (2,998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Embrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Embrey (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 Embrey mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Emm's stronghold" in Old English. 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 Embrey (1.18 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 Embrey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.