could be your friend was an Aymeric- that's the only version of the name I've come across in real life, on a 20-something French guy from Grasse. It's not in the database, but I think it's legit, as there's an infant
Prince Aymeric of Belgium and 730 000 google hits, same number as
Emeric.
Aymeric is the version I like best, with
Emeric running second- though it looks vaguely medical to me!