Emery peaked in 2012 for boys and sits at rank #823 with 20,100 SSA records. It's a name that has been drifting steadily toward the girls' side of the SSA ledger even as its total usage remains solid — which makes it one of the more interesting gender-in-transition names in contemporary American naming.
Germanic Heritage and the Emery Cloth Connection
Emery traces to the Germanic Amalric or Emmerich — from amal (labor, vigor) and ric (power, ruler) — "powerful ruler" or "strength in work." The name traveled through Norman French after 1066 and became established in England as a surname, then cycled back as a given name. The word "emery" (the abrasive material used in emery boards and sandpaper) shares this etymology, taking its name from emery stone mined in Asia Minor — a curious but memorable connection.
The Gender Trajectory
Emery's 2012 peak for boys came just as the name was beginning its crossover. It now appears on both girls and boys in SSA data, with the girls' share growing. This is the same trajectory Avery, Finley, and Riley followed , names that were once majority-male and gradually shifted. Parents choosing Emery for a son today are choosing against the grain of the current momentum, which may be exactly the appeal or may be a complication, depending on perspective. Compare it to Emerson for a strongly masculine reading with the same first syllable.
Counter-Reading
If gender neutrality is something you're comfortable with, Emery for a boy works well , the Germanic roots are firmly masculine in origin, and the sound is clean and confident. If you want a name that reads unambiguously male throughout your son's life, the current direction of Emery on the falling names chart for boys is worth knowing before you decide.