Elm tree meadow or clearing
Derived from English place names, Emsley likely stems from the Old English 'elm' and 'leah', referring to a meadow or woodland clearing where elm trees grew. It has historically been used as a surname before transitioning into a rare given name.
Less common today
Emsley isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #2,589 in 2015.
US births per 5-year period, 1990βpresent (SSA data).