2000
#8,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,505
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Emmett
Derived from a diminutive of the female given name Emma, meaning "whole" or "universal."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,666 Americans carry the last name Emmett. That puts it at #9,692 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emmett 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 Emmett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,495
Census rank
#9,692
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,197 bearers of the surname Emmett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9692nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmett, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emmett
The surname Emmett has its roots in the Old German personal name Emmet or Emmerich, which arose from the Germanic roots "amal" meaning "vigor" or "bravery" and "ric" meaning "power" or "ruler." It was common for early surnames to derive from personal names, often reflecting qualities or attributes. The name likely entered England with the Norman Conquest in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Emmett appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where an individual named Emmerich is listed as a landholder in Berkshire. This suggests the name had already become established in certain regions of England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was frequently spelled in various ways, including Emett, Emmett, Emmat, and Emmot, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings at the time. Some instances of these spellings can be found in medieval records and charters from counties like Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The Emmett surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Emmett's Grange in Suffolk and Emmett's Farm in Dorset, indicating that some individuals may have adopted the name based on their connection to these locations.
One notable figure with the surname Emmett was Robert Emmett (1778-1803), an Irish republican and revolutionary who led an uprising against British rule in 1803. Despite its failure, his actions earned him a place in Irish history and folklore.
In the 19th century, the Emmett surname gained further recognition with the abolitionist and women's rights advocate Daniel Emmett (1815-1904), who is credited with composing the iconic song "Dixie" in 1859.
Other historical figures with the surname Emmett include the English botanist Thomas Emmett (1639-1693), known for his contributions to the study of plants, and the American architect and designer Thomas Addis Emmett (1828-1919), who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
The surname Emmett has also been associated with literary figures, such as the American writer and editor Christopher Emmett (1900-1983), who co-founded the influential literary magazine "Story" in the 1930s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emmett
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmett, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Emmett 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 Emmett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 2,859
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 120
- Two or more races3.5% · 113
- Black or African American2.0% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emmett
Emmett 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
#9,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,619
+114 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 394 places
2020
#9,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,197
-422 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,636 | 3,505 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,030 | 3,619 | 1.23 | +114 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 394 places |
| 2020 | #9,692 | 3,197 | 1.07 | -422 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 662 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 Emmett 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 | #9,030 | #9,692 | -7.3% |
| Count | 3,619 | 3,197 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.07 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emmett bearers went from 3,619 to 3,197 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 662 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,030 to #9,692.
FAQ
Emmett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emmett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,666 living Americans carry the surname Emmett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,495 residents.
How common is Emmett?
Emmett ranks #9,692 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,197 people with the surname Emmett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Emmett.
Has Emmett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emmett went from 3,619 recorded bearers to 3,197. That is a decrease of 422 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,030 to #9,692.
What does the Census say about the background of Emmett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmett, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Emmett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (2,859 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emmett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Emmett (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 Emmett mean?
Derived from a diminutive of the female given name Emma, meaning "whole" or "universal." 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 Emmett (1.07 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 share the surname Emmett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.