Emin is of Turkish origin, meaning "leader" or "commander". It gained prominence through Emin Agayev, a renowned Azerbaijani pianist and composer, born in 1875. The name also has connections to the Ottoman Empire, with notable figures like Emin Pasha, a German physician and explorer who served as governor of Equatoria under the Ottoman-Egyptian rule in the late 19th century. In recent times, it has been popularized by Eminem, the American rapper and actor born Marshall Mathers III, who adopted this stage name.
The name Emin experienced a gradual increase in popularity over time, with a significant surge starting around the year 2000. The peak years for this name were 2015 and 2016, with both having 33 births each, followed by another peak in 2019 with 37 births. However, there has been a recent decline in popularity since 2020, with the most recent data showing 28 births in 2022 and 26 births in 2023.