How Many People Are Named Ember?
An estimated 20,827 people in the United States have the first name Ember. It is predominantly female (98.2%). The average bearer is 10 years old, and Ember peaked in popularity in 2024 with 2,210 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ember as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ember paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Ember is overwhelmingly female, 389 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Ember is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 10, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
20,827
About 1 in 16,457 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
98.2% confidence
Average Age
10
years old
Peak Year
2024
2,210 births
Total Registered
21,059
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ember
Ember is predominantly female (98.2%), though 389 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Ember as a male name
Ranked #3,168 in 2024
38 male births in 2024
Peak: 2021 (57 births)
Ember as a female name
Ranked #137 in 2024
2,172 female births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (2,172 births)
Ember in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 10,925 people with the first name Ember, which placed it at #2,328 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ember was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 10,925 people with this name in that snapshot, 2.4% were male and 97.6% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 98.2% of the time.
Census Count
10,925
people with this name
Census Rank
#2,328
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
3.62
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ember was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.27%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (9.91%) and Two or More Races (8.50%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ember in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ember.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 77.27% | 8,441 |
| Hispanic | 9.91% | 1,083 |
| Two or More Races | 8.50% | 928 |
| Black | 2.10% | 229 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.41% | 154 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.81% | 89 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Ember: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ember span from the 1940s to the 2020s, covering 9 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2020s, when 9,225 babies were registered. Ember remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.
Ember by Decade
How has Ember tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Ember by State
Birth registrations for Ember span all 49 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, Florida. The lowest are in Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut. On average, about 380 Embers were registered per state.
Ember + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ember as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ember
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
Ember: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ember?
We estimate approximately 20,827 people named Ember are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 16,457 Americans share this first name.
Is Ember a common name?
Ember is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 98.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 21,059 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ember most popular?
Ember reached peak popularity in 2024, when 2,210 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ember is approximately 10 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ember in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 10,925 people with the first name Ember. That placed it at #2,328 in the published Census first-name tables, or 3.62 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ember was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ember?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ember was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 2.4% male and 97.6% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ember?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ember was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.27%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (9.91%) and Two or More Races (8.50%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ember a female name?
Ember is predominantly female. 98.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ember have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ember peaked in 2024, and the average living bearer is about 10 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ember Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ember Smith, Ember Johnson, Ember Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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