EMMETT
The surname Emmett is of English and Germanic origin. It developed in the British Isles and is a diminutive form derived from the medieval given name Emmett, which itself is a pet version of the female personal name Emma. The name Emma traces back to Germanic roots, with the component *ermin* or *irmin* meaning whole, entire or universal. Consequently, the family name Emmett can be interpreted as descendant of Emma or son of Emma.
Early medieval records indicate that Emmett may have a dual origin. One is a diminutive of the personal name Emma, introduced into England by the Normans and utilised before the Conquest of 1066. The other possibility is locational, coming from Emmott in Lancashire. This place name was first recorded as Emot in 1296 and is derived from Old English eagemot, meaning “junction of streams.” The surname in this form appears in court rolls and subsidy rolls dating from the fourteenth century.
In the 1273 Hundred Rolls, the variant Emmot is documented, and the earliest known bearer recorded in the 1324 “Court Rolls of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster” is William de Emot. A notable early instance is Ranulph Emmot, recorded in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire during the reign of King Edward III. These entries confirm that the name was established in England prior to the Norman Conquest and persisted throughout the Middle Ages.
The Emmott family of Lancashire were granted a coat of arms consisting of a shield divided per pale azure and sable, a fesse engrailed ermine between three gold bulls’ heads cabossed, and a crest of a hind sejant reguard standing on a beehive proper. The presence of such heraldic devices underscores the family's established status in that region.
In modern times, the surname Emmett remains common in several English‑speaking countries. In the United Kingdom it ranked 449th in the 1881 census, with 9 891 individuals, particularly in Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Rutland and Westmorland. The United States has an estimated 77 400 bearers, predominantly in the Midwest, especially Michigan, where the density is 24 per 100 000 people. Canada recognises the name as 485th most popular, with 8 408 record holders in the 2006 census, most of whom live in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Australia recorded the surname in the 19th century, with a concentration of 730 individuals in Melbourne. In Ireland the name is 295th most common, with at least 4 076 bearers noted in the 1850 Griffith’s Valuation, mainly in Galway, with smaller communities in Cork and Mayo.
Variant spellings of the surname include Emmitt, Emot, Emotte, Emet, Emitt, Emmitts, Emmets, Emmott, Emmot, Emteil, and Emmett. These differences often reflect regional orthographic practices or the Anglicisation of names during emigration. Related surnames that share the same root or phonetic similarity are Emerson, Emery, Emmure and Emurson, the latter being a rare Scottish variant. The persistence of these variants across England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, France and the United States illustrates the widespread dissemination of the name from its early medieval origins to the modern era.
Typical given names associated with the Emmett surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Linda
- Lisa
- Louise
- Margaret
- Maureen
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Emmett in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 4,269 people named Emmett in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,189th most common surname in Britain. Around 66 in a million people in Britain are named Emmett.
Surname type: Diminutive
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Emmett
- Chris Emmett - Actor and comedian
- Sean Emmett - Motorcycle racer
- Tom Emmett - Cricket player of England. (1841 to 1904)
- George Emmett - Cricket player of England. (1912 to 1976)
- E. V. H. Emmett - Newsreader (1902 to 1971)
- Jonathan Emmett - Author
- Henry James Emmett - Public servant (1782 to 1848)
- Edward Nucella Emmett - Australian entrepreneur (1817 to 1874)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.