2000
#12,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Embree
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "flat-topped hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,523 Americans carry the last name Embree. That puts it at #13,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,852 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Embree surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,852
Census rank
#13,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,200 bearers of the surname Embree in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Embree, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Embree
The surname Embree has its origins in England, with the earliest known recordings dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "embry" or "embury," which referred to a meadow or field surrounded by a bank or raised enclosure. This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic name, describing a person who lived near or worked on such a piece of land.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a William de Embury is listed. The prefix "de" indicates that the name at that time was still being used as a locational surname, referring to a specific place.
In the 14th century, the spelling of the name began to evolve, with variants such as Embury, Embree, and Embrey appearing in various records. This was a common occurrence during that period, as spelling conventions were not yet standardized.
The Embree family appears to have been particularly well-established in the county of Warwickshire, with several individuals bearing the name mentioned in various historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is John Embree, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1542 and served as a local magistrate.
As the name spread across England, it also found its way into various place names, such as Embree Farm in Gloucestershire and Embree Hill in Wiltshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Embree who once lived or held land in those areas.
In the 17th century, the Embree surname gained further prominence with the birth of William Embree (1623-1697), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.
Other notable individuals with the surname Embree include:
1. John Embree (1785-1864), an American Quaker and abolitionist who advocated for the education of enslaved people.
2. Etta Semple Embree (1881-1949), an American educator and author who founded the Embree Memorial Lectures at Columbia University.
3. Edwin Rogers Embree (1883-1950), an American author and philanthropist who served as the president of the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
4. Mary Embree (1898-1979), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood films.
5. James Embree (1927-2019), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Embree Construction Group in Arizona.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Embree
Among Census respondents with the surname Embree, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Embree bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Embree surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 1,936
- Two or more races4.0% · 88
- Black or African American3.6% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Embree
Embree appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,338
-48 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 1,094 places
2020
#13,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,200
-138 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,015 | 2,386 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,109 | 2,338 | 0.79 | -48 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 1,094 places |
| 2020 | #13,282 | 2,200 | 0.74 | -138 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 173 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Embree surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,109 | #13,282 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,338 | 2,200 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.74 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Embree bearers went from 2,338 to 2,200 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 173 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,109 to #13,282.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Embree
FAQ
Embree surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Embree?
Name Census estimates that about 2,523 living Americans carry the surname Embree. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,852 residents.
How common is Embree?
Embree ranks #13,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,200 people with the surname Embree. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,523), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Embree.
Has Embree become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Embree went from 2,338 recorded bearers to 2,200. That is a decrease of 138 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,109 to #13,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Embree?
Among Census respondents with the surname Embree, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Embree in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (1,936 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Embree appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Black (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Embree (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Embree mean?
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "flat-topped hill" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Embree (0.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Embree?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.