Embury last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Embury

A locational surname derived from a place called Embury in Somerset, England.

Embury, 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 Embury surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Embury in America

Embury is the 43969th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Embury surname appeared 490 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 Embury.

We can also compare 2010 data for Embury 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 43969 44654 -1.55%
Count 490 453 7.85%
Proportion per 100k 0.17 0.17 0.00%

The history of the last name Embury

The surname EMBURY is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "embra" and "byri," which together mean "single-family homestead." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived in an isolated or solitary dwelling.

The earliest recorded instances of the name are found in various medieval documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, both of which date back to the 13th century. These records indicate that the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Worcestershire, and surrounding areas.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name EMBURY was John Embury, a Methodist minister who played a significant role in the establishment of Methodism in North America. Born in Ballygaran, County Armagh, Ireland, in 1760, Embury emigrated to New York in 1760 and is credited with founding the first Methodist congregation in the city in 1766.

Another notable figure with the surname EMBURY was Philip Embury, a British Army officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. Born in 1729 in Cambridgeshire, England, Embury fought for the British forces and was captured at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. He later settled in Canada after the war.

In the 19th century, George Embury, a British architect, left his mark on the architectural landscape of London. Born in 1784 in Worcestershire, Embury designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Paddington and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Twickenham.

The name EMBURY can also be found in literary circles, with Elizabeth Embury, an American poet and author, born in 1823 in New York. She was known for her collections of poetry, including "Pictures of Early Life" and "Constance Latimer, or, The Blind Girl and Other Tales."

Another notable bearer of the name was Samuel Embury, a prominent figure in the early days of the Methodist Church in the United States. Born in 1743 in County Armagh, Ireland, Embury played a crucial role in establishing the first Methodist society in New York City in 1766, laying the foundations for the growth of Methodism in the country.

While the surname EMBURY is not as common as some other English surnames, it has left a lasting impact on various aspects of history, from religion and architecture to literature and military service. Its origins can be traced back to the heart of medieval England, where it emerged as a distinctive name associated with isolated homesteads and small settlements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Embury

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

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 Embury was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.24% 452
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.84% 9
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.47% 17
Hispanic Origin 2.45% 12

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 Embury has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.24% 94.04% -1.93%
Black 0.00% 1.10% -200.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.84% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 3.47% 1.10% 103.72%
Hispanic 2.45% 2.87% -15.79%

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 Embury was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Embury last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/embury-surname-popularity/.

"Embury last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/embury-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Embury last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/embury-surname-popularity/.

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