Total births
34,050
Unisex name · since 1993
Emerson
Since 1993, U.S. Social Security records show 34,050 babies named Emerson, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #151
- among girls today
- 34,050
- born since 1993
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other girls
34,050 babies have been named Emerson since 1993, making it today's #151 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Emerson recorded 34,050 times among girls since 1993, holding rank #151 nationally today, ahead of 99.1% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1993 to 2025.
- #151 among girls today
- 34,050 born since 1993
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.1% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Emerson is currently the #151 unisex name in America, more common than 99.1% of girls - 34,050 born since 1993, peaking in the 2010s.
- #151
- among girls today
- 34,050
- born since 1993
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other girls
Emerson vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#151
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.1% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
48% of everyone ever named Emerson was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
2,241 babies were named Emerson in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Emerson compares
34,050 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Emerson's all-time total is 89x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Emerson | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 34,050 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,241 | 48 | 19,840 |
Emerson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Emerson splits its recorded history at 2009: 84% of all births land in the more recent half, 16% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1993 (11 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 2,241 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Emerson at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#151
Active since
1993
Emerson popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1993–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 2,241
- Annual births at peak, across 33 years of records
Emerson popularity over time - boys
33,521 total births recorded since 1880 (Emerson as boys' name)
Emerson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Emerson's strongest decade.
16,233 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
Emerson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 366
1990s
366 births
- 2000s 6,205
2000s
6,205 births
- 2010s
2010s
16,233 births
- 2020s
2020s
11,246 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 16,233 births (48% of all-time use).
How Emerson compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Emerson's total volume
Emerson vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Emerson by state
Where Emerson concentrates geographically, total births since 1993
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,924 | 8.6% |
| #2 | California | | 2,278 | 6.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 1,756 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,649 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,409 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,371 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 1,284 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,283 | 3.8% |
Texas share of Emerson's total US births 8.6%
Even split
2,924 of 34,050 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Emerson appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Emerson? ▼
34,050 babies have been named Emerson since 1993. It currently ranks #151 among girls. The peak year was 2025 with 2,241 births.
When was Emerson most popular? ▼
Emerson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 16,233 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Emerson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Emerson are Texas (2,924 births), California (2,278 births), North Carolina (1,756 births).
Is Emerson a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Emerson is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 34,050 births, and as a boy's name it has 33,521 births.
How long has the name Emerson been used? ▼
Emerson has been recorded in Social Security data since 1993, spanning 33 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Emerson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Emery, Emely, Emersyn, Emelia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Emerson's data
- Emerson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (16,233 total births) through the 2020s (11,246) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Emersons (2,924 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Emerson
Nearby Names Like Emerson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Emerson
Emery Girl
#70 43,837 births
Emely Girl
#427 23,864 births
Emersyn Girl
#154 22,246 births
Emelia Girl
#574 14,028 births
Emerald Girl
#708 9,518 births
Compare Emerson side by side: Emerson vs Emery Emerson vs Emely Emerson vs Emersyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Emerson
Kehlani #150
14,481 births · Peak 2025
June #152
205,556 births · Peak 1925
Hallie #149
40,376 births · Peak 2025
Sloane #153
24,670 births · Peak 2025
Wrenley #148
7,948 births · Peak 2024
Emersyn #154
22,246 births · Peak 2022
Valerie #147
273,229 births · Peak 1959
Elsie #155
190,072 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1993–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Emerson: #151 Unisex Name - 34,050 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/emerson. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Emerson draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.