Show ContentsEmery History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Emery

What does the name Emery mean?

The earliest origins of the name Emery date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from an ancient Saxon Chieftain named Almericus. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Emery family

The surname Emery was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the singular Latin form Amalricus was listed. 1

Later in Lincolnshire, in the forename form, Ymnerus filius Reineri was listed c. 1160. The singular Haimeri was found in the Pipe Rolls for Staffordshire in 1170 and a few years later, Haimericus filius Gidhe was found in Lincolnshire c. 1190-1195. We must look to Northumberland in the Curia Regis Rolls 1207-1214 to see the name with early surname spellings: Robertus filius Amalrici, Almarici, Aumarici. Aymery de Rupe Cawardi was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1278; Roger Hemeri in Clerkenwell, Essex c. 1182; Robert Amalri in the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1207; Richard Aumauri in the Curia Regis Rolls for Dorset in 1221; Robert Emeri in Leicestershire in 1223; Robert Heymeri in Cheshire in 1240; Simon Amarik in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1260; William Emeric in 1276; and Robert Amary, Amory in the Hundredorum Rolls for Berkshire in 1279. 2

Early History of the Emery family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Emery research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1777, 1792, 1793, 1802, 1822, 1825, 1842 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Emery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emery Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Emery include Emery, Emmery, Emory, Emmory, Emerye, Emmerie and others.

Early Notables of the Emery family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • John Emery (1777-1822), actor, born at Sunderland 22 Sept. 1777, and obtained a rudimentary education at Ecclesfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His father, Mackle Emery (d. 18 May 1825), was a c...
  • Edward Emery (d. 1850?), the English numismatist, under whose direction the notorious imitations of coins known as 'Emery's forgeries' were produced, was a coin-collector and coin-dealer living in Lon...

Emery World Ranking

In the United States, the name Emery is the 1,202nd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Emery is ranked the 1,264th most popular surname with an estimated 4,451 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Emery is the 962nd popular surname with an estimated 4,120 people with that name. 5 New Zealand ranks Emery as 948th with 788 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Emery as 708th with 9,471 people. 7


Emery migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Emery or a variant listed above:

Emery Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anthony Emery, who settled in New England in 1630
  • Francis Emery, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1635
  • James Emery, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635
  • Ann Emery, who landed in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1635 8
  • Anthony Emery, carpenter from Hampshire who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James", bound for Newbury 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Emery Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Tho Emery, who landed in Virginia in 1704 8
  • Jean Baptiste Emery, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718-1724 8
  • Peter Emery, who landed in Georgia in 1739 8
Emery Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jeremiah Emery, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1818 8
  • C S Emery, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 8
  • J S Emery, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 8
  • M P Emery, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
  • Joseph Emery, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Emery Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • James William Emery, who landed in Arkansas in 1904 8

Emery migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Emery Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Emery U.E., "Emry" who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 9

Emery migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Emery Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Emery, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
  • Richard Emery, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • Miss Hester Emery, English Convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
  • Miss Margaret Emery, English Convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
  • William Emery, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Emery migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Emery Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Emery, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
  • Martha Emery, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
  • Mr. Emery, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl Durham" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand in 1841 14
  • George Emery, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "John Masterman" in 1857
  • William Emery, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hasquina" in 1870
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Emery (post 1700) +

  • Walter Ralph Emery (1933-2022), American country music disc jockey and television host from Nashville, Tennessee, inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010
  • Lin Emery (1926-2021), American visual artist based in New Orleans
  • Brigadier-General Ambrose Robert Emery (1883-1945), American Commandant Infantry Replacement Training Center Macon (1940-1944) 15
  • George W Emery (1830-1909), appointed eleventh governor of Utah Territory by Ulysses S. Grant
  • David Farnham Emery (b. 1948), American Republican politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives, 1971-74; U.S. Representative from Maine 1st District, 1975-83 16
  • David Emery, American politician, Mayor of Titusville, Pennsylvania, 1877-78 16
  • Curtis Stanton Emery (b. 1861), American Republican politician, Orange County Commissioner, 1885-88; Member of Vermont State House of Representatives from Chelsea, 1888; U.S. Collector of Customs, 1909 16
  • Clyde L. Emery, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to New York convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 16
  • Clarence W. Emery, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Auburn, 1902 16
  • Clarence B. Emery (b. 1875), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Plymouth, 1913-16; Member of Connecticut State Senate 32nd District, 1921-22 16
  • ... (Another 54 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hillcrest Coal Mine
  • Mr. David Emery (1883-1914), Canadian Bratticeman from Nova Scotia, Canada who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 17
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Lawrence A Emery (b. 1909), English Musician serving for the Royal Marine Band from Battersea, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 18
  • Mr. Richard C Emery (b. 1905), English Stoker Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 18
HMS Royal Oak
  • Frank Chandler Emery (1901-1939), British Chief Petty Officer with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 19
  • Alfred Emery (1917-1939), British Cook (S) with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 19
Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. Charles Emery (b. 1852), Welsh coal miner from Abertridwr, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 20
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Jack Marvin Emery, American Ensign from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 21
  • Mr. John Marvin Emery, American Gunner's Mate Third Class from North Dakota, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 21
  • Mr. Wesley Vernon Emery, American Storekeeper Second Class from Indiana, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 21
USS Indianapolis
  • William Friend Emery, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 22


The Emery Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fidis et sauvis
Motto Translation: Faith and sweet


Suggested Readings for the name Emery +

  • Hemry (also Emery) Family History Book by Larry H.Hemry.
  • The Revised Genealogical Records of the Descendants of John Emery of Newbury, Massachusetts by Judith Elaine Burns.

  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  8. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  9. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  10. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
  11. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
  12. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN RENWICK 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837JohnRenwick.htm
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) Ambrose Emery. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Emery/Ambrose_Robert/USA.html
  16. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  17. List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners
  18. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  19. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  20. Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm
  21. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
  22. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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