EMMS
Emms is an English surname of medieval origin, with its earliest attestations in the records of the Hundred Rolls and parish registries of England.
The name is considered to be a metronymic surname, derived from the female given name Emma, which was already adopted by the Norman aristocracy before the Conquest of 1066. The Norman form of Emma was used in England as Em or Emm and became a source of family names when it was applied to the descendants of a woman bearing that name.
The personal name Emma itself originates from the Old Germanic word ermen, meaning “whole” or “universal.” In the medieval period it was employed as a pet form of a range of Germanic female names that began with the element ermin, which conveys the idea of entirety or completeness.
In England the surname Emms is generally understood to have arisen as a patronymic, that is, it was used to identify the children or heirs of a person named Emma. The spelling of the surname has varied over time, with recorded forms including Emme, Emms, Emson and Emmison, all of which reflect the same metronymic origin.
The earliest documented instance of a recorded individual bearing the surname is William Emms, who is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire in 1274, during the reign of King Edward I. This record provides the first definitive spelling of the family name.
Other early references appear in parish records. For example John Emme is listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxford in 1279, while John Emms is recorded as having been christened on 15 November 1661 at St. Botolph's Bishopsgate, London.
Variations of the name that are associated with the same root include Em(m)et, Emmot, Emmitt, Emmatt, Hemmett, Emeline, Emlyn, Emblin(g) and Emblem. These variants illustrate the way in which the given name was adapted to different linguistic contexts within Britain.
In the wider European tradition, however, most surnames are patrilineally derived, or patronymic, whereas the surname Emms and its derivatives are unusual in that they are specifically metronymic, having their origin in the name of the mother rather than the father.
Historically, the name spread throughout the English Midlands and eastern counties, as evidenced by the concentration of early records in Shropshire, Oxford and London. Over subsequent centuries, the name has remained relatively uncommon but stable in its spelling.
In modern usage, the surname Emms continues to be associated with a small but distinct family line that can trace its origins back over seven centuries, reflecting its medieval heritage and the lasting influence of Norman naming practices in England.
Typical given names associated with the Emms surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Helen
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Joanne
- Julie
- Margaret
- Marilyn
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Rebecca
- Samantha
- 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 Emms in...
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There are approximately 2,576 people named Emms in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,434th most common surname in Britain. Around 40 in a million people in Britain are named Emms.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Emms
- Robert Emms - Actor
- Gail Emms - Badminton player
- Carl Emms - DJ
- Winifred Emms - Male impersonator (1883 to 1972)
- John Emms - Chess player
- William Emms - Scriptwriter (1930 to 1993)
- John Emms - Painter from the United Kingdom (1843 to 1912)
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.