Save Type Surname (from given name) Usage English Pronounced Pron. EHM-ər-sən [key·IPA] Meaning & HistoryExpand Links Means "son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism. Related NamesDetails Other Languages & CulturesAmerighi(Italian) Given Name DescendantsEmerson, Emersyn, Emmerson(English) Categories accordionists, keyboardists, poets, The Nanny characters