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

Emmerson, 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 Emmerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Emmerson in America

Emmerson is the 24874th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Emmerson surname appeared 1,000 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 Emmerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Emmerson 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 Emmerson

The surname Emmerson originated in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the Old English personal name Emmerand, which means "universal counsellor" or "all-powerful advisor." The name is believed to have evolved from the combination of the Old English words "emme," meaning "universal," and "rand," meaning "counsel."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emmerson appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where it is spelled "Emmerand." This suggests that the name was already in use during the High Middle Ages. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Emmerson.

In the 13th century, the name Emmerson can be found in various historical records, including the Curia Regis Rolls of 1242, where it is recorded as "Emmereson." This indicates that the name had spread beyond Yorkshire and was found in other parts of England.

During the 14th century, the Emmerson surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where it is listed as "Emerson." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period, as they were often recorded phonetically by scribes.

One notable figure with the surname Emmerson was William Emmerson (c. 1701-1782), an English mathematician and astronomer. He was born in Hurworth, County Durham, and is known for his work on calculating the orbits of comets.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Ralph Waldo Emmerson (1803-1882), an American essayist, poet, and philosopher. Although the spelling of his surname is slightly different, it is believed to have originated from the same Old English roots.

In the 19th century, the Emmerson surname gained recognition through individuals like Oliver Emmerson (1842-1925), an American politician who served as a United States Senator from West Virginia.

The name Emmerson has also been associated with notable places. For example, Emmerson Creek in North Dakota is named after an early settler with the surname Emmerson, who established a homestead in the area in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Emmerson has maintained its roots in England and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, politicians, and pioneers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Emmerson

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!