Emory

How to say it

/ˈɛm.ə.ri/

What it means

A variant of Emery, from the Germanic Emmerich, 'whole' or 'universal' plus 'power, ruler.'

Emory is a spelling of Emery, which comes from the Germanic Emmerich, joining a sense of 'whole, universal' to 'power' or 'ruler.' The Normans carried it to England. The -ory spelling tracks Emory University in Atlanta, named for a 19th-century Methodist bishop, and it reads as a polished, unisex surname-style name. Em is the easy short.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  Emory and Emery are the same name; the o-spelling echoes Emory University.

• Worth knowing

  Unisex, used comfortably for any child.

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.

• Emory University the Atlanta university that anchors the o-spelling

Spelling variants

• Emery
• Emmory
• Emori

Names with the same feeling

• Emerson Son of Emery
• Emery Industrious ruler
• Ellis Yahweh is God, or 'benevolent'
• Sawyer Wood-sawer
• Quinn Descendant of Conn

See Emory from another angle