Total births
18,970
Unisex name · since 1880
Emory
Emory has 18,970 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #883
- among boys today
- 18,970
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Emory currently ranks #883 among unisex names in America, with 18,970 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Emory has been recorded 18,970 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #883 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #883 among boys today
- 18,970 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Emory is currently the #883 unisex name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 18,970 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #883
- among boys today
- 18,970
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Emory vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#883
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Emory was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
308 babies were named Emory in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Emory compares
18,970 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Emory's all-time total is 52x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Emory | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,970 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 308 | 23 | 22,252 |
Emory's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Emory's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1891, with only 23 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 308, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Emory at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1920
Current rank
#883
Active since
1880
Emory popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 308
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Emory popularity over time - girls
10,792 total births recorded since 1915 (Emory as girls' name)
Emory by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Emory's strongest decade.
2,502 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Emory births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 372
1880s
372 births
- 1890s 362
1890s
362 births
- 1900s 461
1900s
461 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,728 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,502 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,905 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,804 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,440 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,132 births
- 1970s 682
1970s
682 births
- 1980s 595
1980s
595 births
- 1990s 664
1990s
664 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,176 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,450 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,697 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,502 births (13% of all-time use).
How Emory compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Emory's total volume
Emory vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Emory by state
Where Emory concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 3,292 | 17.4% |
| #2 | Florida | | 1,227 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,072 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 1,049 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 840 | 4.4% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 643 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Maryland | | 597 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 527 | 2.8% |
Georgia share of Emory's total US births 17.4%
Even split
3,292 of 18,970 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Emory appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Emory? ▼
Emory has been given to 18,970 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #883 as of the latest data. 308 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Emory most popular? ▼
Emory was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,502 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Emory most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Emory are Georgia (3,292 births), Florida (1,227 births), Texas (1,072 births).
Is Emory a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Emory is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 18,970 births, and as a girl's name it has 10,792 births.
How long has the name Emory been used? ▼
Records for Emory go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Emory? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Emon, Emoni, Emori, Emonte, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Emory's data
- Emory's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (2,502 total births) through the 2020s (1,697) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Georgia records the most Emorys (3,292 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Emory
Nearby Names Like Emory
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Emory
Emon Boy
#4135 617 births
Emoni Boy
#10298 228 births
Emori Boy
#6134 155 births
Emonte Boy
140 births
Emontae Boy
30 births
Compare Emory side by side: Emory vs Emon Emory vs Emoni Emory vs Emori
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Emory
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Emory: #883 Unisex Name - 18,970 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/emory. 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 Emory 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.