How to say it
EM · ber
ˈɛm.bɚ
Feminine
Ember
Glowing coal
What it means
English word for the glowing remnant of a fire, from Old English ǣmyrġe ('ash'). A modern word name that picked up in the 2010s alongside other elemental and nature names (Autumn, Aspen, Wren).
Ember is straight from the English word for the glowing remnant of a fire, from the Old English ǣmyrġe ('ashes, embers'). Disney's Elemental (2023) features a character named Ember (the fire-element protagonist), which gave the name a Gen-Alpha pop-culture anchor. As a given name Ember is recent and American: rare before 2010, then climbing fast with the broader elemental-name wave (Autumn, Aspen, Wren). It entered the US top 200 in 2017. Single short forms aren't common.
How to spell Ember
The standard spelling is Ember. Common variants include Embre, but Ember is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #135 in 2024, currently #154 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Disney Pixar's Elemental (2023) named its fire-element protagonist Ember; that's the dominant Gen-Alpha cultural anchor.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Ember (Elemental) The fire-element heroine of Pixar's Elemental, 2023
Spelling variants
- Embre
Names with the same feeling
See Ember from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Ember mean?
- English word for the glowing remnant of a fire, from Old English ǣmyrġe ('ash'). A modern word name that picked up in the 2010s alongside other elemental and nature names (Autumn, Aspen, Wren).
- What does Ember mean in English?
- In English, Ember means "Glowing coal." Ember is straight from the English word for the glowing remnant of a fire, from the Old English ǣmyrġe ('ashes, embers'). Disney's Elemental (2023) features a character named Ember (the fire-element protagonist), which gave the name a Gen-Alpha pop-culture anchor. As a given name Ember is recent and American: rare before 2010, then climbing fast with the broader elemental-name wave (Autumn, Aspen, Wren). It entered the US top 200 in 2017. Single short forms aren't common.
- How do you pronounce Ember?
- Ember is pronounced ˈɛm.bɚ. Say it as EM-ber, with the stress on the "em" syllable.
- How do you spell Ember?
- The standard spelling is Ember. Common spelling variants include Embre.
- Is Ember a boy or girl name?
- Ember is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Ember?
- Ember ranked #154 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.