Emrys is the Welsh form of Ambrose, from the Greek ambrosios, "immortal", the word for the food of the gods. In Welsh legend the wizard Merlin is called Myrddin Emrys, which gives the name a touch of magic, and the BBC series Merlin used Emrys as the hero's secret name. In the United States Emrys has risen from number 2,417 in 2015 to a best rank of number 1,141 in 2024 and sits at number 1,260 in 2025.