2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Emmerton
A locational surname originating from a place called Emmerton, in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Emmerton. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emmerton 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 Emmerton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Emmerton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emmerton
The surname EMMERTON is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a now-lost place name, potentially in Derbyshire or Yorkshire. The name may have evolved from the Old English words "emmet" meaning "ant" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," suggesting a connection to an ant hill or a place with an abundance of ants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EMMERTON can be found in the 1379 Poll Tax records of Yorkshire, where a certain John Emmerton is listed. This document provides valuable insight into the name's presence in the region during that time period.
In the 16th century, the EMMERTON surname appeared in various parish records across northern England, including those of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The name was sometimes spelled slightly differently, such as "Emmertonne" or "Emmertun," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in those times.
Notable individuals bearing the EMMERTON surname include John Emmerton (1642-1712), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Southill in Bedfordshire. Another early figure was William Emmerton (1701-1782), a merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, whose estate played a role in the local economy.
In the 19th century, the EMMERTON name gained prominence with the birth of Alfred Emmerton (1858-1925), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Manchester. His contributions to the city's cultural and educational institutions, including the founding of the Emmerton Institute, left a lasting legacy.
Another significant figure was Margaret Emmerton (1882-1973), an English writer and feminist activist. She advocated for women's rights and was involved in various social and political movements during the early 20th century.
The EMMERTON surname has also been associated with notable figures in other fields, such as James Emmerton (1905-1987), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
While the origins of the EMMERTON surname can be traced back to medieval England, its presence has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of English settlers and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emmerton
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Emmerton 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 Emmerton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 98
- Two or more races8.1% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emmerton
Emmerton appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+10 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,047 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 11,047 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 Emmerton 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 | #159,712 | #148,665 | 6.9% |
| Count | 101 | 111 | 9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emmerton bearers went from 101 to 111 (+9.9% change). The surname moved up 11,047 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #148,665.
FAQ
Emmerton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emmerton?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Emmerton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Emmerton?
Emmerton ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Emmerton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Emmerton.
Has Emmerton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emmerton went from 101 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 10 (+9.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Emmerton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Emmerton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emmerton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (8.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Emmerton (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 Emmerton mean?
A locational surname originating from a place called Emmerton, in England. 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 Emmerton (0.04 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 common is the surname Emmerton?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Emmerton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.