Explore the Family Name Emery
The meaning of Emery
1. English (of Norman origin): from the ancient Germanic personal name Amalric, composed of the elements Amal (a dynastic name among the Goths) + rīk ‘realm, power’. The name was introduced into England from France by the Normans, developing into the Middle English personal name Amery, Emery (from Old French Amauri, Emaurri). Compare Amery, Amory, and 2 below. 2. French: from the Old French personal name Aimery, ancient Germanic Haimeric, from haim ‘home’+ rīc ‘power(ful)’. This may occasionally also be a derivation of the English surname (see 1 above). Compare Lemery. 3. Americanized form of German Hemmerich. History: Antoine Émery dit Coderre from Sarrazac in Dordogne, France, married first Marie Devault in QC c.1669, and second Marie-Anne Favreau in QC in 1688.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Emery in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Emery" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 1275th most popular surname in the United States. By 2010, the rank had slipped to 1365, signifying a change of -7.06%. Despite this slide in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased from 25,338 in 2000 to 25,839 in 2010, a growth of 1.98%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,275 | #1,365 | -7.06% |
| Count | 25,338 | 25,839 | 1.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.39 | 8.76 | -6.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Emery
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the Emery surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals fascinating trends over the same decade. The highest percentage of individuals with this surname identified as White, though their proportion decreased slightly from 90.17% in 2000 to 88.22% in 2010. There were significant increases in the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.52% to 0.67%), those indicating they belonged to two or more races (from 1.42% to 1.87%), and those identifying as Hispanic (from 1.56% to 2.57%). The percentage of people with the Emery surname who identified as Black also saw a modest increase from 5.38% to 5.60%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category increased from 0.94% to 1.06%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.17% | 88.22% | -2.16% |
| Black | 5.38% | 5.6% | 4.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 2.57% | 64.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.42% | 1.87% | 31.69% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.94% | 1.06% | 12.77% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.67% | 28.85% |
Emery ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Emery is British & Irish, which comprises 51.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.6%) and Eastern European (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.5% |
| French & German | 25.6% |
| Eastern European | 4.5% |
| Other | 18.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Emery
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Emery have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
What Emery haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Emery is R-Z12, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z12 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Seaman, Withers, Patrick, Thorpe, Potts, Tharp, Sanford, Ambrose, Chaney, Brooks.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Emery surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Emery have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Emery" Surname 38.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Emery" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Emery" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Emery" Surname 21.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Emery?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Emery are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition