Emma: meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

What it means

Its shared Germanic element carries the sense “entire” or “whole.”

Where it comes from

Emma has Germanic roots and a long association with Norman naming traditions in Britain.

How it developed

Emma was shortened from names containing the element erm(en) or irm(en), such as Ermintrude and Irmgard. Its later use as a pet form of Emily is a separate naming practice, not the explanation of its older origin.

The story

Emma was the name of the mother of Edward the Confessor. That early royal association places it within Britain’s medieval naming history, alongside the wider influence of Norman names.

Emma through the years

Babies since 1880: 778,172; 1,733 boys · 776,439 girls
Most popular year: 2003; 22,756 babies
2025: 12,768; #3 for girls · #6,222 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: −23%; Easing

Emma in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inDistrict of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: District of Columbia (36), Alaska (29), Hawaii (37), Delaware (32), New Jersey (428).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 12,754 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 22,719 in 2003. It also appeared in 14 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (1,707). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 498,221 as a first name in 2020; 1,128 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Emma’s family of names

Emma is an affectionate form of Emily. In English usage, Emma shares a linguistic root with Irma. Emma has a related form in Emmy.

Walk Emma’s family in the name graph

Around the world

Emma has relatives in 21 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.

26 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 26

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Show 18 moreShow fewer

Spellings & scripts 3

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 18

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

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People named Emma

Characters named Emma: Emma Swan (Fictional character on Once Upon a Time), Emma Pillsbury (the television series Glee), Emma Peel (the television series The Avengers), Emma Woodhouse (Emma).

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Emma, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

German · Royal

Sibling ideas

Names that share Emma’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Emma

A sister for Emma

Your shortlist

Emma

Meaning & origin

What it means

Where it comes from

How it developed

The story

Emma through the years

Where it’s given

By the numbers

Emma’s family of names

Around the world

Nicknames & forms 26

Spellings & scripts 3

Across languages 18

See also 4

People named Emma

Appears in

Similar names

Ella

Adelaide

Esmorís

Gulielma

Ava

Isabella

Gundry

Sabarís

Sibling ideas

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