Emmerson is a spelling of Emerson, an English surname meaning "son of Emery"; Emery goes back to the Germanic Emmerich and is usually explained as "brave" or "powerful ruler". The surname belonged to the essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the double m brings out the nickname Emme. In the United States Emmerson ranked number 6291 among girls in 2000, peaked at number 1365 in 2013 and stood at number 2623 in 2025 with 66 girls.