gender neutral
Emerson
son of Emery, brave and powerful
About Emerson
Emerson embodies intellectual sophistication and literary heritage, immediately conjuring associations with great thinkers and writers. This name has surged in popularity for good reason—it combines traditional respectability with contemporary appeal, offering the best of both worlds. The three-syllable structure provides substance and elegance, while the smooth flow of consonants and vowels creates an inherently pleasing sound. Emerson works seamlessly across gender lines, though it maintains strong masculine credentials when chosen for boys. The built-in nickname options—Em, Emery, Son—offer versatility for different contexts and preferences throughout life. Parents who select Emerson often value education, creativity, and independent thinking, seeing their name choice as a reflection of their aspirations for their child. The name carries equal weight in boardrooms and classrooms, on sports jerseys and business cards. Emerson represents that rare combination of distinctive without being weird, classic without being stuffy, and meaningful without being heavy-handed.
Popularity of the Name Emerson
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #344 | ||||
| 1881 | #377 | ||||
| 1882 | #475 | ||||
| 1883 | #384 | ||||
| 1884 | #493 | ||||
| 1885 | #446 | ||||
| 1886 | #437 | ||||
| 1887 | #428 | ||||
| 1888 | #449 | ||||
| 1889 | #383 | ||||
| 1890 | #543 | ||||
| 1891 | #379 | ||||
| 1892 | #449 | ||||
| 1893 | #407 | ||||
| 1894 | #390 | ||||
| 1895 | #430 | ||||
| 1896 | #445 | ||||
| 1897 | #587 | ||||
| 1898 | #397 | ||||
| 1899 | #428 | ||||
| 1900 | #382 | ||||
| 1901 | #374 | ||||
| 1902 | #373 | ||||
| 1903 | #383 | ||||
| 1904 | #371 | ||||
| 1905 | #341 | ||||
| 1906 | #414 | ||||
| 1907 | #335 | ||||
| 1908 | #422 | ||||
| 1909 | #373 | ||||
| 1910 | #356 | ||||
| 1911 | #357 | ||||
| 1912 | #304 | ||||
| 1913 | #404 | ||||
| 1914 | #370 | ||||
| 1915 | #354 | ||||
| 1916 | #361 | ||||
| 1917 | #371 | ||||
| 1918 | #348 | ||||
| 1919 | #351 | ||||
| 1920 | #373 | ||||
| 1921 | #395 | ||||
| 1922 | #378 | ||||
| 1923 | #402 | ||||
| 1924 | #379 | ||||
| 1925 | #394 | ||||
| 1926 | #442 | ||||
| 1927 | #448 | ||||
| 1928 | #435 | ||||
| 1929 | #520 | ||||
| 1930 | #455 | ||||
| 1931 | #520 | ||||
| 1932 | #481 | ||||
| 1933 | #514 | ||||
| 1934 | #508 | ||||
| 1935 | #549 | ||||
| 1936 | #549 | ||||
| 1937 | #540 | ||||
| 1938 | #530 | ||||
| 1939 | #588 | ||||
| 1940 | #520 | ||||
| 1941 | #566 | ||||
| 1942 | #576 | ||||
| 1943 | #593 | ||||
| 1944 | #606 | ||||
| 1945 | #665 | ||||
| 1946 | #654 | ||||
| 1947 | #640 | ||||
| 1948 | #650 | ||||
| 1949 | #634 | ||||
| 1950 | #678 | ||||
| 1951 | #660 | ||||
| 1952 | #751 | ||||
| 1953 | #706 | ||||
| 1954 | #665 | ||||
| 1955 | #824 | ||||
| 1956 | #793 | ||||
| 1957 | #779 | ||||
| 1958 | #851 | ||||
| 1959 | #818 | ||||
| 1960 | #810 | ||||
| 1961 | #890 | ||||
| 1962 | #803 | ||||
| 1963 | #803 | ||||
| 1964 | #806 | ||||
| 1965 | #854 | ||||
| 1966 | #884 | ||||
| 1967 | #870 | ||||
| 1968 | #902 | ||||
| 1970 | #960 | ||||
| 1972 | #994 | ||||
| 1973 | #995 | ||||
| 1976 | #942 | ||||
| 1984 | #933 | ||||
| 1985 | #975 | ||||
| 1986 | #913 | ||||
| 1988 | #994 | ||||
| 1989 | #966 | ||||
| 1990 | #901 | ||||
| 1992 | #990 | #619 | |||
| 1993 | #941 | #530 | |||
| 1995 | #940 | #612 | |||
| 1996 | #986 | #513 | |||
| 1998 | #867 | #551 | |||
| 1999 | #894 | #591 | |||
| 2000 | #909 | #738 | |||
| 2001 | #761 | #818 | |||
| 2002 | #773 | #677 | |||
| 2003 | #709 | #592 | |||
| 2004 | #718 | #517 | |||
| 2005 | #585 | #498 | |||
| 2006 | #539 | #422 | |||
| 2007 | #493 | #349 | |||
| 2008 | #473 | #833 | #324 | ||
| 2009 | #437 | #930 | #297 | ||
| 2010 | #430 | #323 | |||
| 2011 | #387 | #911 | #247 | ||
| 2012 | #363 | #265 | |||
| 2013 | #331 | #849 | #286 | #240 | |
| 2014 | #324 | #752 | #166 | ||
| 2015 | #300 | #634 | #368 | #164 | |
| 2016 | #295 | #646 | #243 | #160 | |
| 2017 | #276 | #776 | #197 | #175 | |
| 2018 | #284 | #746 | #251 | #747 | #174 |
| 2019 | #269 | #770 | #284 | #176 | |
| 2020 | #268 | #819 | #435 | #192 | |
| 2021 | #277 | #683 | #324 | #199 | |
| 2022 | #274 | #652 | #375 | #208 | |
| 2023 | #268 | #669 | #252 | #222 | |
| 2024 | #270 | #721 | #322 | #237 | |
| 2025 | #254 | #531 | #405 | #261 | |
| 1991 | #779 | ||||
| 1994 | #520 | ||||
| 1997 | #552 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Emerson
Names Similar to Emerson
Nicknames for Emerson
- Em
- Eme
- Son
- Emmy
Famous People Named Emerson
| Ralph Waldo Emerson | American poet and philosopher |
| Emerson Fittipaldi | Brazilian racing driver and two-time Formula One world champion |
| Emerson Boozer | Former American football player |
| Emerson Palmieri | Italian professional footballer |
| Emerson Barrios | Paraguayan singer and songwriter |
| Emerson Lake | English musician and member of the band Emerson, Lake & Palmer |
| Emerson Hyndman | American professional soccer player |
| Emerson Thome | Brazilian former footballer |
| Emerson Whithorne | American film director and producer |
| Emerson Spartz | American entrepreneur and founder of Dose, OMG Facts, and MuggleNet |
| Emerson Bachelis | American actor and filmmaker |
| Emerson Ray | American singer-songwriter and producer |
| Emerson Ette | Nigerian professional footballer |
| Emerson Horsford | Kittitian and Nevisian cricketer |
| Emerson Curtis | Australian artist and designer |
| Emerson Culurgioni | Italian footballer |
| Emerson Sika | Congolese basketball player |
| Emerson Washburn | American politician and lawyer |
| Emerson Campbell | Australian rugby league footballer |
| Emerson Hall | American golfer |
Characters Named Emerson
| Emerson Cod | Character from the TV series "Pushing Daisies" |
| Emerson Hauser | Character from the TV series "Alcatraz" |
| Emerson Cole | Character from the book "Hourglass" by Myra McEntire |
| Emerson Kent | Character from the movie "The Purge - Election Year" |
| Emerson Barrett | Character from the TV series "Famous in Love" |
| Emerson Wild | Character from the book series "The Infernal Devices" by Cassandra Clare |
| Emerson Swinford | Character from the TV series "Barry" |
| Emerson Laidlaw | Character from the book "Out of Reach" by Missy Johnson |
| Emerson Drake | Character from the TV series "Dead of Summer" |
| Emerson Berg | Character from the book "The Start of Me and You" by Emery Lord |
| Emerson Bates | Character from the TV series "9-1-1 - Lone Star" |
| Emerson Brooks | Character from the TV series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" |
| Emerson Brantley | Character from the TV series "One Tree Hill" |
| Emerson Bard | Character from the TV series "Manifest" |
| Emerson Green | Character from the movie "La La Land" |
| Emerson Keane | Character from the book "S.T.A.G.S" by M.A. Bennett |
| Emerson Trent | Character from the TV series "Rookie Blue" |
| Emerson Watts | Character from the book "The Vincent Boys" by Abbi Glines |