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

Empie, 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 Empie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Empie in America

Empie is the 45886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Empie surname appeared 465 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 Empie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Empie 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 Empie

The surname Empie is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "empe," meaning "uncle" or "ancestor." It is believed to have originated in the region of Lincolnshire, England, around the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Empe in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the surname may have initially been used as a descriptive name for someone who was considered an elder or respected member of the community.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, such as Empe, Empye, and Empie, reflecting variations in spelling and pronunciation. It is possible that some variations were influenced by Norman French spellings after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Notably, the surname Empie was borne by Sir Thomas Empie, a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France in the 14th century. He was recorded as participating in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.

Another notable figure with the surname Empie was John Empie, a 16th-century English merchant and explorer. He is known for his travels to the Americas and his connections with Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions to the New World.

In the 17th century, the name Empie appeared in various English parish records, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. Some examples include the marriage of William Empie and Elizabeth Browne in 1642 in Lincolnshire and the baptism of John Empie in 1679 in Yorkshire.

The surname Empie can also be traced to place names in England, such as the village of Empy in Lincolnshire, which may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Empie throughout history include:

1. Thomas Empie (1690-1756), an English colonial administrator in America who served as the Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1751 to 1756.
2. Sarah Empie (1714-1790), an American Revolutionary War patriot known for her support of the Continental Army during the conflict.
3. William Empie (1789-1867), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1823 to 1825.
4. John Empie (1847-1912), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Empie Candy Company in Ontario.
5. Emma Empie (1883-1972), an American painter and illustrator known for her works depicting rural life in New England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Empie

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

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

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

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