Emsley is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Clive Emsley (born 1944), British historian and criminologist Evangeline Lydia Emsley (1885–1967), Canadian nurse John Emsley, British writer, broadcaster and academic specialising in chemistry Lyndon Emsley (born 1964), British chemist Paul Emsley (born 1947), South African painter now resident in Wiltshire, England Richard Emsley (born 1951), British composer from Goole, Yorkshire
See also Emsley A. Laney High School, high school just outside Wilmington, North Carolina