Surname Emmerson - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'E'
Emmerson: What does the surname Emmerson mean?
The last name Emmerson is of English origin and is derived from the personal name "Emery" or "Emmerich". The common English name "Emery" comes from an ancient Germanic name "Amalricus", which is composed of two elements: "amal", meaning "work, labor" and "ric", meaning "ruler, power". Thus, the complete meaning of Amalricus is "work-ruler" or "industrious leader". When translated to Emmerson, it denotes "son of Emery" or "son of an industrious leader". The use of -son in surnames is of Viking tradition and signifies "son of". Therefore, the surname can often be found in regions with historical Viking influence such as the northeastern part of England. Like many surnames, Emmerson was likely used to identify individuals in the times when formal records of names were not maintained and populations were smaller. Thus, it assisted in distinguishing between individuals with the same first name in a locale. Today, it continues to be a fairly common surname, particularly in English-speaking countries. Notable people with this surname include Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous American poet, and Keith Emerson, an English musician.
Order DNA origin analysisEmmerson: Where does the name Emmerson come from?
The surname Emmerson has origins in both English and Scottish cultures. It dates back to the Middle Ages and is a derivative of the personal name Emery or Emeric. The name Emeric itself originated from the Old German language, being a compound of 'amal', meaning labor, and 'ric', which means power.
In English, Emmerson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was traditionally a surname given to a person whose father's name was Emery or Emeric. Thus, the suffix "-son", which means son of, combined with the prefix "Emer" leads to Emmerson, effectively translating to "son of Emery" or "son of Emeric".
Currently, the surname Emmerson is most common in England, Northern Ireland, and the United States, with the greatest concentration found in Northumberland, England where the name has a lengthy history. Other pockets can also be found in Scotland and Canada. It is important to note that the distribution of the name might have changed due to the global movement of people. However, its roots remain significant in understanding heritage and familial history.
Variations of the surname Emmerson
The surname Emmerson has several variants and spellings which are rooted from the same origin. It is considered to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the first name ‘Emery’, which in turn is formed from the Germanic personal name ‘Emeric’ composed of the elements ‘Eimi’, meaning 'swift' and ‘Ric’, meaning 'powerful'.
Some of the identified variants and spellings include Emerson, Emmison, Emarson, Emison, Emersen, Emison, Emersone, Imerson, Immer, Imershein and Emershaw amongst others. The addition of an extra 'm' in some variants is a common practice in surname formation where doubling a consonant often indicates a short vowel sound preceding it. The swapping of ‘s’ and ‘c’ in the name is also a common linguistic occurrence, given the phonetic similarities of the two letters.
Furthermore, the name can be found hyphenated or combined with other names, for example, Lloyd-Emerson or Emmerson-Smith. It is worth noting that while these names share the same linguistic root, various cultural, historical, and regional factors may affect their evolution, interpretation and spelling in different contexts.
Famous people with the name Emmerson
- Ralph Waldo Emerson: a famous American poet, essayist and lecturer who was also a leader of the Transcendentalist Movement during the mid-19th century.
- Anne Emerson: an American contemporary realist painter who often focuses on coastal landscapes and marine life.
- Dortmund Emerson: an Australian professional football player who represented the Socceroos in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
- Mercer Emerson: an American film, television and video game actor and musician known for his role in the 2017 film "Me, Myself & Irene"
- Hal Emerson: an American television writer, producer and director who wrote the classic "Andy Griffith Show" episode "Opie's First Love".
- Bryce Emerson: an American actor and stuntman known for his work in Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- Bruce Emerson: an American theater, film and television actor who has appeared in a number of Broadway productions including Cabaret.
- Raymond Emerson: an American actor, best known for his roles in the soap operas The Streets of San Francisco and General Hospital.
- Alexandra Emerson: an American stage and television actress, writer and producer best known for her roles in Law & Order: SVU and Orange is the New Black.
- Sean Emerson: an Irish actor and director, best known for his roles in the films Armani and Paddington 2.