What Does the Name Emery Mean?

Emery is a unisex name of Germanic (via Norman French) origin meaning “'work-ruler / industrious ruler'.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Emery
Gender	unisex
Origin	Germanic (via Norman French)
Meaning	'work-ruler / industrious ruler'
Variants	Emory, Emmerich, Emerie, Emmery
Popularity	Historically male, Emery has become predominantly a girls' name in the US in recent years, ranking in the top 150 for girls.

The meaning and origin of Emery

The name Emery means “'work-ruler / industrious ruler'” and has Germanic (via Norman French) origins. Emery derives from the Old German name Emmerich, composed of elements such as 'amal' (work/labor) or 'heim' (home) and 'ric' (ruler, power), giving the sense 'industrious ruler'. It came to England as a Norman French form after 1066 and is now used for both sexes, increasingly for girls.

Variants and related names

Emery is related to several other names you may recognize: Emory, Emmerich, Emerie, Emmery. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Emery?

Historically male, Emery has become predominantly a girls' name in the US in recent years, ranking in the top 150 for girls.

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