Embrey
A surname that likely began as a pet form of Emery, with an intrusive B added in later spelling.
The #8,894 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,875 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Embrey is generally treated as a variant of Emery, a medieval personal name of Germanic origin. The name ultimately goes back to elements meaning something like "home" or "ruler," filtered through Old French forms used in England after the Norman period. In this spelling, the B is usually explained as intrusive, so Embrey developed from Emery rather than from a separate root.
History
The surname is found in English records in several forms, including Embrey, Embree, and Embury. The 19th-century county distribution noted by Guppy shows it as a relatively localized English surname, while Bardsley treats it as a baptismal surname derived from Emery. The spelling has remained uncommon, but it survived in both Britain and North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley specifically remarks that the B in Embrey is “intrusive,” which is a classic clue that the name started as another surname or given name in disguise.
From the historical record
“London, 3 ; New York, a. Embery, Embrey, Embree, Embury.— Bapt *the son of Emery,* q.v. The b is intrusive ; cf. Embelin. , 1667. Married— John Embree and Mary”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)