2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Emrey
Of French origin, an occupational surname derived from "amirier" referring to a maker of armor or armorer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Emrey. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emrey 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Emrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emrey
The surname Emrey has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "eamerige," which referred to a place near a river or stream. This name likely originated as a locational surname, indicating that the first bearers of the name lived in such a place.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Emrey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Richard de Emerige is listed. This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period, as they gradually became more standardized over time.
In the 14th century, the Emrey surname appears in various records across different counties in England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Emery is mentioned. This suggests that the name had begun to spread and establish itself in various regions throughout the country.
During the 15th century, the surname Emrey continued to appear in historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Suffolk from 1448, which lists a Thomas Emery. This document recorded the transfer of land or property ownership, indicating that the Emrey family had achieved a certain level of status and wealth by this time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Emrey throughout history include:
1. Sir John Emery (c. 1520-1587), an English courtier and politician who served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Walter Emery (c. 1560-1634), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Raphoe in Ireland.
3. Thomas Emery (1663-1741), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
4. John Emery (1777-1842), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
5. Catherine Emrey (1806-1890), an English author and poet who published several works, including "The Triumphs of Genius" and "The Wreath of Friendship."
While the surname Emrey has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, likely through emigration and the movement of people over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the early locational surnames that emerged in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Emrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Emrey 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 Emrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 112
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emrey
Emrey 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+23 bearers (+22.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,735 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +23 bearers (+22.8%) | Up 13,735 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,677 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 Emrey 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 | #135,593 | #144,270 | -6.4% |
| Count | 124 | 117 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emrey bearers went from 124 to 117 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #144,270.
FAQ
Emrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emrey?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Emrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Emrey?
Emrey ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Emrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Emrey.
Has Emrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emrey went from 124 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Emrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Emrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Emrey (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 Emrey mean?
Of French origin, an occupational surname derived from "amirier" referring to a maker of armor or armorer. 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 Emrey (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 many Americans have the surname Emrey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.