Emma
Whole or universal · Germanic origin
Meaning & origin
Emma is a female name of Germanic origin, meaning “Whole or universal”.
How popular is Emma?
In England & Wales, Emma ranked #69 among girls' names in 2024, with 666 babies given the name, close to its #57 of 2014. Its strongest year in the England & Wales series is 1997, when it reached #13.
In the United States, Emma was the #2 girls' name in the 2020 data — its best showing in the US series, which samples one year per decade from 1880.
Emma is a sharply American choice: #2 in the US against #69 in England & Wales.
| Year | E&W rank | Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #14 | 4,232 |
| 1997 | #13 | 4,126 |
| 2000 | #17 | 2,574 |
| 2005 | #23 | 2,144 |
| 2010 | #48 | 1,373 |
| 2015 | #61 | 1,017 |
| 2020 | #60 | 816 |
| 2024 | #69 | 666 |
Famous Emmas
- Emma Watson · English model, activist, and former actress (born 1990)
- Emma Goldman · Russian-born American anarchist (1869–1940)
- Emma Thompson · British actress and screenwriter (born 1959)