Emmet

Meaning of Emmet

Emmet—pronounced EM-it—began life as a medieval pet form of Emma, but, like a jaunty troubadour, he wandered far, picking up new shades of meaning along the way: the Hebrew word “emet” gifts him the virtue of “truth,” while the old Irish root “eimhín” whispers “swift” and “powerful” in the background. Pop-culture parents may picture the ever-optimistic Emmet Brickowski of The Lego Movie, history buffs might salute the fiery Irish patriot Robert Emmet, and nature lovers grin at the antiquated English word for “ant,” tiny yet tireless. In the United States, his numbers have danced up and down the charts for more than a century—never a diva in the Top 100, always a steady beat in the room—making him feel both familiar and refreshingly under-the-radar. All told, Emmet carries the vibe of a sun-washed plaza guitar: honest, quick on his feet, and quietly heroic, perfect for a little boy who’ll grow into his own brand of brave truth.