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

Emerson, 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 Emerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Emerson in America

Emerson is the 1145th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Emerson surname appeared 30,702 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Emerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Emerson 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 Emerson

The surname Emerson has its origins in the Old English pre-7th century words "eamer" or "aemer", meaning a "person who had care of the horses". It is an occupational surname given to those who were employed as horse keepers or grooms. The earliest recorded spelling was found in the English Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1195 as "Edmarus le Emeressone".

Emerson is a name that has its roots in the northern English counties, particularly Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English "eamer" or "aemer" combined with the patronymic suffix "-son", meaning "son of the horse keeper". The name was also occasionally spelled as "Emmerson" or "Emersonne" in early records.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are references to "Aimarus" and "Aimarus le Aemer" in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, which are believed to be early variations of the surname Emerson.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Roger Emerson, who was recorded in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. Another early instance was William Emerson, mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273.

The surname Emerson has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American essayist, philosopher, and poet who was a leading figure in the Transcendentalist movement.

Other notable Emersons include:

1. William Emerson (1701-1782), an English mathematician and architect.
2. Ralph Emerson (1787-1863), an American minister and father of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
3. William Emerson (1769-1811), an American minister and author, and the grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
4. Thomas Emerson (1638-1666), an English minister and settler in New England.
5. Michael Emerson (born 1954), an American actor known for his roles in various TV series, including "Lost" and "Person of Interest".

The surname Emerson has undergone variations in spelling over time, but its origins can be traced back to the Old English words related to horse keeping and the patronymic suffix "-son". It has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, including literature, philosophy, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Emerson

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

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

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

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