2000
#5,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,751
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.13
Rare Last name
Emerick
Derived from a Germanic personal name, composed of the elements "amal," meaning "work," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,325 Americans carry the last name Emerick. That puts it at #6,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,190 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emerick 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 Emerick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,190
Census rank
#6,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,516 bearers of the surname Emerick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emerick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emerick
The surname Emerick is of German origin, derived from the medieval given name Emmerich or Emrich. This name is a compound of the Germanic elements "amin" meaning "work, labor" and "ric" meaning "power" or "ruler." Thus, the name Emerick can be interpreted to mean "powerful worker" or "hard worker."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Emerick date back to the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in present-day Germany. It is believed that the name was initially borne by individuals who were known for their diligence and hard work.
In the 14th century, the surname Emerick appeared in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents related to the history of Saxony. One notable figure from this period was Johannes Emerick, a nobleman and landowner in the region of Thuringia, who lived from approximately 1320 to 1390.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Emerick spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. In England, the name was sometimes anglicized to Emery or Emory. One notable bearer of the name was John Emery (1598-1667), an English clergyman and religious writer.
In the 18th century, the Emerick surname gained prominence in the United States, as German immigrants began settling in various parts of the country. One notable figure was Michael Emerick (1736-1809), a German-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Ebenezer Emerick (1805-1863), an American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855.
In the 19th century, the Emerick surname was also found in various parts of Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One notable figure from this period was Carl Emerick (1844-1923), a German-born American businessman and industrialist who founded the Emerick Furniture Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.
As the centuries passed, the Emerick surname continued to spread and evolve, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging in different regions. However, the name's core meaning and association with diligence and hard work have remained consistent throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emerick
Among Census respondents with the surname Emerick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Emerick 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 Emerick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 5,019
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 214
- Two or more races3.3% · 184
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 50
- Black or African American0.5% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emerick
Emerick 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
#5,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,333
+582 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 57 places
2020
#6,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,516
-817 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,551 | 5,751 | 2.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,494 | 6,333 | 2.15 | +582 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 57 places |
| 2020 | #6,007 | 5,516 | 1.85 | -817 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 513 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 Emerick 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 | #5,494 | #6,007 | -9.3% |
| Count | 6,333 | 5,516 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.15 | 1.85 | -14.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emerick bearers went from 6,333 to 5,516 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 513 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,494 to #6,007.
FAQ
Emerick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emerick?
Name Census estimates that about 6,325 living Americans carry the surname Emerick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,190 residents.
How common is Emerick?
Emerick ranks #6,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,516 people with the surname Emerick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,325), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Emerick.
Has Emerick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emerick went from 6,333 recorded bearers to 5,516. That is a decrease of 817 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,494 to #6,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Emerick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emerick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Emerick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (5,019 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emerick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Emerick (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 Emerick mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name, composed of the elements "amal," meaning "work," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power." 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 Emerick (1.85 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 Emerick?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.