Explore the Family Name Empson

The meaning of Empson

English: 1. metronymic meaning ‘son of Emma’, from the Middle English female personal name Em(e), Emme (see Imm) + -son. 2. shortened form of Emerson. The two names were no doubt confused, and it is possible that the reverse process sometimes occurred, whereby Em(m)erson was an altered form of Emmeson, i.e. Em(p)son.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Empson in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Empson has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 27,595 and increased slightly to rank at 28,650 in 2010. This is a change of -3.82 percent. However, the count of people carrying this surname slightly increased from 822 to 832, showing a growth of 1.22 percent. The proportion per 100,000 population decreased by 6.67 percent during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#27,595#28,650-3.82%
Count8228321.22%
Proportion per 100k0.30.28-6.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Empson

The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Empson. The data reveals that the majority, specifically 91.83 percent of individuals with this surname identified as White in 2010, showing a slight increase from 91.73 percent in 2000. The number of Empsons identifying as Hispanic showed a small growth of 4.11 percent, rising from 2.19 percent to 2.28 percent over the decade. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black stood at 3.25 percent, marking a minor decrease of 0.91 percent from 2000. The percentage of Empsons identifying with two or more races declined significantly by 27.47 percent, falling from 1.82 percent in 2000 to 1.32 percent in 2010. There were no individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White91.73%91.83%0.11%
Black3.28%3.25%-0.91%
Hispanic2.19%2.28%4.11%
Two or More Races1.82%1.32%-27.47%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%