Emory
A surname that usually began as a variant of Emery, itself ultimately from an old Germanic personal name meaning “work-ruler” or “brave power.”
The #6,075 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,732 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Emory is generally treated as a spelling variant of Emery, a medieval personal name brought into English through Old French. That name goes back to Germanic elements usually explained as em work, power' and r uler, brave, mighty,' giving the sense of a strong or capable leader. In surname use, Emory would originally have meant a0son or descendant of Emery. a0
History
The historical record shows Emory alongside Emery and Emmery as related surname forms in English usage. It appears chiefly as a surname in Britain and the United States, where spelling variation was common before standardization. Some families may have shifted between Emory and Emery over time, so separate lines can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is famous in the U.S. through Emory University in Atlanta, which was named for Methodist bishop John Emory.
From the historical record
“Refif. Univ. Oxf. vol. ii. pt. it. p. 251. '755- Married — Emory Putttck and Mary Elvin : St Geo. Han. Sq. I. 59. London, 5, 3 ; Boston (U.S.), o, i. Puxon.— Local, ' of Puxton,' a”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)