Emory is a spelling of Emery, which goes back to the Germanic name Emmerich and means "brave ruler" or "industrious ruler". It is best known in the United States as the name of Emory University in Atlanta, and as a girls' name it joined Emery and Emerson in the 2010s. Emory entered the US top 1000 for girls in 2011 and has climbed to number 339 in 2025, close to its peak of number 333 the year before.