2000
#1,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,338
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.39
Uncommon Last name
Emery
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "ruler" or "powerful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,094 Americans carry the last name Emery. That puts it at #1,416 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,200 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emery 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 Emery with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,200
Census rank
#1,416
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,499 bearers of the surname Emery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1416th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emery, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emery
The surname Emery has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "aimeree," which means "beloved" or "affectionate." This name was initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with an amiable or loving personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emery can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England compiled in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions an individual named Emericus, which is a Latin variation of the name Emery.
During the 12th century, the name Emery appeared in various historical records and documents across Europe. In England, the name was sometimes spelled as "Emery" or "Emmery," while in France, it was commonly written as "Émery" or "Aimery."
Notable individuals with the surname Emery include:
1. Jacques-André Émery (1732-1811), a French Catholic theologian and scholar who served as the Superior General of the Sulpician Fathers.
2. John Emery (1777-1838), an English actor and playwright known for his roles in Shakespearean plays.
3. Sarah Emery (1789-1867), an American missionary and educator who established schools for Native American children in the United States.
4. Ralph Emery (1933-2022), an American television host and personality best known for his work on the long-running country music television program "Nashville Now."
5. Dick Emery (1915-1983), an English comedian and actor who gained popularity for his television comedy series "The Dick Emery Show" in the 1970s.
The surname Emery has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history. For example, the village of Emery in Somerset, England, is believed to have been named after a prominent family with the Emery surname who resided there in the past.
Overall, the surname Emery has a rich history dating back to medieval times, with its roots firmly planted in France. It has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, actors, missionaries, and entertainers, reflecting the widespread distribution and adoption of this name across different cultures and regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emery
Among Census respondents with the surname Emery, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Emery 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 Emery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 20,892
- Black or African American5.6% · 1,372
- Two or more races4.1% · 999
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 819
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 216
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 201
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emery
Emery 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
#1,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,839
+501 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 8.76
Rank movement Down 90 places
2020
#1,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,499
-1,340 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 8.20
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,275 | 25,338 | 9.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,365 | 25,839 | 8.76 | +501 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 90 places |
| 2020 | #1,416 | 24,499 | 8.20 | -1,340 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 51 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 Emery 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 | #1,365 | #1,416 | -3.7% |
| Count | 25,839 | 24,499 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.76 | 8.20 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emery bearers went from 25,839 to 24,499 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,365 to #1,416.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Emery
FAQ
Emery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emery?
Name Census estimates that about 28,094 living Americans carry the surname Emery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,200 residents.
How common is Emery?
Emery ranks #1,416 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,499 people with the surname Emery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Emery.
Has Emery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emery went from 25,839 recorded bearers to 24,499. That is a decrease of 1,340 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,365 to #1,416.
What does the Census say about the background of Emery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emery, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Emery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (20,892 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (5.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Emery (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 Emery mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "ruler" or "powerful." 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 Emery (8.20 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 Americans have the surname Emery?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.