2000
#5,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.04
Rare Last name
Emory
From the Old English personal name Emery, derived from Emaurri, referring to someone from Emmerich in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,088 Americans carry the last name Emory. That puts it at #6,184 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,300 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emory 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.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,300
Census rank
#6,184
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,309 bearers of the surname Emory in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6184th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emory, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emory
The surname Emory is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "eamor" or "aemor," which means "brave" or "industrious." This name was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone who exhibited such qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Emory can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Almericus de Eamor, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname.
During the 13th century, the name Emory became more prevalent in various counties across England, particularly in counties like Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire. Historical records from this period often showcase variations like Amory, Amorey, and Emorey.
In the 14th century, the name Emory was associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir John Emory (c. 1300 - 1376), a prominent knight and landowner from Northamptonshire. Another was William Emory (c. 1330 - 1395), a respected cleric and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
The 16th century saw the emergence of Emory as a place name, with the village of Emory in Somerset being one of the earliest examples. This village likely derived its name from an individual bearing the surname Emory who owned land or had influence in the area.
In the 17th century, the name Emory gained further recognition with individuals like Robert Emory (1595 - 1670), a successful merchant and ship owner from London. Another notable figure was John Emory (1620 - 1687), a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious life of colonial New England.
The 18th century brought forth figures like Ebenezer Emory (1720 - 1795), a prominent American Methodist preacher and author, and Robert Emory (1765 - 1833), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries progressed, the Emory surname continued to be associated with accomplished individuals across various fields, including academics, military leaders, and artists. Some examples include Frederic Emory (1822 - 1903), an American artist renowned for his landscape paintings, and John Emory (1789 - 1835), a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the namesake of Emory University in Georgia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emory
Among Census respondents with the surname Emory, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Emory 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 Emory surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.0% · 3,982
- Black or African American16.7% · 889
- Two or more races4.1% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emory
Emory 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
#6,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,641
+137 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 314 places
2020
#6,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,309
-332 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,761 | 5,504 | 2.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,075 | 5,641 | 1.91 | +137 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 314 places |
| 2020 | #6,184 | 5,309 | 1.78 | -332 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 109 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 Emory 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 | #6,075 | #6,184 | -1.8% |
| Count | 5,641 | 5,309 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.78 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emory bearers went from 5,641 to 5,309 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 109 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,075 to #6,184.
FAQ
Emory surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emory?
Name Census estimates that about 6,088 living Americans carry the surname Emory. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,300 residents.
How common is Emory?
Emory ranks #6,184 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,309 people with the surname Emory. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,088), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Emory.
Has Emory become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emory went from 5,641 recorded bearers to 5,309. That is a decrease of 332 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,075 to #6,184.
What does the Census say about the background of Emory?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emory, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) 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 Emory in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (3,982 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emory appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.0%), Black (16.7%), 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 Emory (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 Emory mean?
From the Old English personal name Emery, derived from Emaurri, referring to someone from Emmerich in Germany. 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 Emory (1.78 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 Emory?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.