Given name & surname
Ember
“a low-burning fire”
Ember is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a low-burning fire.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a low-burning fire.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1946. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ember through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 23,072
- 426 boys · 22,646 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 2,222 babies
- 2025
- 1,988
- #154 for girls · #3,266 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +41%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,952 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 154 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 41.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 36 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (150). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,925 as a first name in 2020; 172 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ember’s family of names
Ember has a related form in Embar. Ember has a related form in Embir. Ember has a related form in Embyr.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Ember, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Eden
“place of pleasure”
21% boys · 79% girls
Palmer
“a pilgrim bearing a palm branch”
19% boys · 81% girls
Aspen
“from the aspen tree”
13% boys · 87% girls
Winter
“born during the winter season”
6% boys · 94% girls
Wynter
“born during the winter”
2% boys · 98% girls
Ivy
“resembling the evergreen vining plant”
>99% girls
Lennon
“daughter of love” · “son of love”
26% boys · 74% girls
Leighton
“from the town near the meadow”
26% boys · 74% girls