Emerson
Meaning of Emerson
Emerson is an English surname turned given name. It began as a patronymic meaning son of Emery, and Emery comes from a Germanic personal name generally interpreted as powerful ruler. As a first name Emerson has been in use since the nineteenth century, and it is now given to both boys and girls; Emersyn is a variant used mainly for girls.
American and British speakers alike say EM-er-suhn, with the stress on the first syllable.
The name's best-known bearer is Ralph Waldo Emerson, the nineteenth-century American essayist and leading figure of transcendentalism; Emerson College in Boston is named for him. The rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer took part of its name from the keyboardist Keith Emerson.
Emerson moved into wide American use in the late 1990s: in 1998 it was given to 146 babies, up from 20 the year before. It kept climbing, reaching 683 babies and 443rd place in 2005, and in 2025 it was given to 2,241 babies and ranked 122nd, the highest position it has held since becoming common in the 1990s.
Pronunciation
American English
- Pronunced as EM-er-suhn (/ˈɛmərsən/)
British English
- Pronunced as EM-er-suhn (/ˈɛməs(ə)n/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Emerson
| Emerson Palmieri is an Italian left back born in Brazil who plays for Marseille in Ligue 1. |
| Emerson Royal, also known as Emerson, is a Brazilian footballer who plays right back or center back for Flamengo and the Brazil national team. |
| Emerson Spartz founded the Harry Potter fansite MuggleNet and the viral media company Dose. |
| Emerson Newton-John is an American racing driver and Olivia Newton-John's nephew, known for competing in NASCAR, the ARCA Racing Series, and Indy Lights. |
| Emerson Hancock is an American pitcher for the Seattle Mariners who played at Georgia, was the sixth overall pick in 2020, and debuted in the majors in 2023. |
| Emerson Jeka is an Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the AFL and spent time on the Geelong list without a senior match. |
| Emerson Santos is a Brazilian central defender who plays for Ponte Preta. |
| Emerson Cris Hartkopp is a Brazilian former defensive midfielder and the current head coach of Brasil de Pelotas. |
| Emerson de Andrade Santos, known as Emerson Paulista, is a Brazilian footballer for Esporte Clube Noroeste. |
