Imre as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Imre

What is the meaning of the name Imre ?

The baby name Imre is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced EEM-reh.

Imre is Germanic, Hungarian, Latin in Origin.

Imre is the Hungarian form of the medieval Latin name Emericus, used to render Germanic names in the Emmerich/Emeric group. Its older root is usually identified as Old High German Amalrih or Amalrich, built from amal, work, labor, sometimes interpreted as vigor, and rihhi, ruler or realm. The literal sense is therefore closer to work ruler than to the simplified strength often given in modern name lists.

In Hungary the name is closely tied to Saint Imre, or Saint Emeric, the 11th-century son of King Stephen I, whose cult fixed the form in Hungarian Christian naming. Related forms spread across Central and Western Europe, including German Emmerich, French Amaury, Italian Amerigo, and Slovak Imrich. Hungarian bearers include Prime Minister Imre Nagy, writer Imre Kertész, and philosopher Imre Lakatos. In the United States, Imre remains rare, with recent SSA registrations only in small numbers.