‘Emerson’ is a Popular Name for Newborns
“What’s your baby’s name?”
“Emerson.”
This is a conversation playing out thousands of times in the U.S because according to the Social Security Administration, Emerson was the 161st most popular girl’s name in 2023. In total, 1,764 female-assigned babies were named Emerson, representing 0.101 percent of the total.
That ranking has held mostly steady from the previous year, moving up eight spots from 2022.
But wait, there’s more. Emerson ranked as the 268th most popular name for baby boys in 2023. That’s 1,258 babies. In 2022, it was was 274th.
Another interesting tidbit. There’s another spelling of the word that is more popular than the way the college spells it.
In 2023, the name Emersyn ranked 146th for baby girl names, for a total of 1,930 babies. That number actually dropped 11 spots from its 2022 ranking.
But how many of those Emerson babies have a connection to the college? Unfortunately, that’s not something the Social Security Administration asks.
Brittany Berkowitz ’12 named her now-one-year-old daughter Emerson, and it was announced on Good Morning America.
We also know of a celebrity’s connection to the name Emerson. Actor Will Arnett’s middle name is Emerson, and his dad’s first name is Emerson. The fondness for Emerson dates back to when his great-grandmother attended the Emerson College of Oratory in 1902-1903. She named a son of hers, Emerson, who named Will’s dad.
And while we’re talking, let’s discuss the popularity of the College’s namesake’s name, Charles Wesley Emerson.
Charles was the 54th most popular name in 2023, with 5,395 male babies given that name. In 2022 and 2021, Charles was the 50th most popular boys name.
Wesley is also in the top 100 most popular names for boy babies and growing in popularity. In 2023, Wesley was the 69th most popular name.
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