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Emmett Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

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Learn about the name Emmett including the meaning, gender, origin, popularity, and more.

Emmett Overview

  • Meaning: “Truth,” “Universal,” or “Ant.”
  • Gender: Traditionally male, or a surname.
  • Origin: Hebrew, German, English.
  • Pronunciation: “Eh-meht” or “Eh-miht”
  • Popularity: Around 100 in the US.
  • Nicknames: Em, Metty.
  • Variations: Emmit, Emma.
  • Namesakes: Emmet Till, Dr. Emmett Brown.

What Does Emmett Mean?

There are a couple of possible meanings for the name Emmett. In Hebrew, this name means truth, in German, it means truth or universal, and Emmett is the old English word for ant.

What is the Origin of the Name Emmett?

The origin of Emmer is British. It is also related to the German girl’s name, Emma.

How Popular is the Name Emmett?

In the United States, the name Emmet has been used since the late 1800s, when it was very popular. In 1901 it ranked as the 147th most popular name in the United States. It hovered around that level and then slowly declined until 1985 when it was the 996th most popular name.

From this point, the name started rising again in popularity just as gradually as it lost popularity. By 2012, it was back in the top 200 names in the United States. Part of this popularity may be related to the Twilight franchise’s prominence and its character, Emmett. The name is still rising. In 2021, Emmet was the 103rd most popular name in the United States (1)

How Do I Pronounce Emmett?

There are a few ways to pronounce Emmett, including Eh-meht and Eh-miht.

Is Emmett a Boy or Girl Name?

Emmett is gender-neutral. It is primarily a name for boys, but it is sometimes used for girls. It is also a surname.

Variations of Emmett

There are quite a few variations of the name Emmett. Most of these variations involve different spellings of the name. Since this name has a few repeated letters and plenty of vowels, it lends itself well to variation. There are also some different versions of Emmett in different cultures.

  • Emet
  • Emmet
  • Emett
  • Emma
  • Emmott
  • Emmit
  • Emitt
  • Emmitt
  • Emmot
  • Emmott
  • Ahmet
  • Ahmed
  • Amit
  • Enmott

Nicknames for Emmett

The key to a good nickname is finding a natural part of the name to play on. Emmett has two great syllables that allow you to formulate several different nicknames. You can also get a little cutesy with nicknames like Em-bear and Em-love.

  • Em
  • Met
  • Mett
  • Emmy
  • Emy
  • Emu
  • Emie
  • Matt
  • Mets
  • Metz
  • Em-Em
  • Mitty
  • Metty
  • Emsy
  • Ember
  • Em-bear
  • Em-love
  • Em&M
  • E.T.
  • Emoji

Similar Names to Emmett

So, maybe you like elements of the name Emmett, but you do not quite like it enough to name your child it. There are quite a few names that are similar to Emmett for a few reasons. Some names sound like Emmett, while other names have a similar origin or popularity level.

Middle Names for Emmett

Emmett is full of sounds that work well with plenty of middle names. Since it has two syllables, this name also works very well with any names, including monosyllabic middle names and names with many syllables. Suitable nicknames may have similar origins to Emmett or have a similar level of popularity.

Sibling Names for Emmett

When looking for sibling names for Emmett, there are different approaches you can employ. For example, consider options that were popular in the Victorian era and are still prevalent in the 21st century. You may also want names that are somewhat gender-neutral or that have a Hebrew, German, or English origin.

Famous People Named Emmett

Since Emmett has been popular to some degree since the 19th century, there are plenty of famous people with the name. The most famous person with this name is likely Emmett Till, a young Black boy who was murdered by a lynch mob in 1955. His death was one of many incidents that lead to the civil rights movement.

  • Emmett Till: African-American murder victim whose death helped launch the American Civil Rights Movement (2).
  • Emmett Barrett: American football player.
  • Emmett Dalton: a member of the Dalton Gang.
  • William Emmett Forrest Jr.: an American pop culture collector, museum founder.
  • Emmett J. Hull: American architect.
  • Emmett Kelly: was an American circus performer.
  • Emmett Leith: American scientist.
  • Emmett McLoughlin: ex-priest, author of People’s Padre, and activist.
  • Emmett Morrison: American basketball player.
  • Emmett J. Scanlan: Irish actor.
  • Emmett Skilton: New Zealand actor.
  • Emmitt Smith: American football player.
  • Emmitt Thomas: American football coach.
  • Emmitt Williams: American basketball player.

Emmett in Popular Culture

Emmett is not a particularly common name in different elements of media. However, most of the time this name is used in pop culture, it is for a well-known character. Two particular stand-outs include a strong vampire and a time-traveling scientist.

  • Emmett Cullen: Twilight.
  • Dr. Emmett Brown: Back to the Future.
  • Emmett: The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth.
  • Emmett Bledsoe: Switched at Birth.
  • Emmett Graves: Starhawk.
  • Emmett Honeycutt: Queer as Folk.
  • Emmett Richmond: Legally Blonde.
  • Emmett Yawners: Banshee.
  • Emmitt Otterson: Zootopia.

Emmett FAQs

Does Emmett Have a Female Version?

While Emmett is gender-neutral, it is most often used for boys. Therefore, you may want to know if there is a more feminine version of this name. There are quite a few female versions of Emmett, including Emma and Emily.

Emma means universal like Emmett, while Emily means rival, wily, or persuasive. Emmy and Emme also mean universal.

Do Any Names Have the Same Meaning As Emmett?

Emmett can mean universal, truth, or ant. Besides Emmett and Emma, there are a few names that share the same meanings.

Names that mean truth include Verity, Alethea, Dharma, Viera, Farouk, Makoto, Satya, Alice, and Arachne.

There are also plenty of names that mean universal or are related. These include Immilla, Ermentrude, Berger, Don, and Erielle. There are not many names that mean ant like Emmett.

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