Emma
EM-uh /ˈɛm.ə/
Meaning of Emma
Emma comes from the Germanic element ermen / irmin, meaning 'whole' or 'universal.' It travelled into English with the 11th-century Norman queen Emma of Normandy, wife of two English kings (Æthelred the Unready and Cnut the Great).
Current popularity of Emma
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #2 |
| United Kingdom (ONS) | 2024 | #5 |
| France (INSEE) | 2024 | #1 |
Cultural notes
One of very few names that has been popular across English, French, German, Italian and Dutch registries simultaneously for the past decade — a strong choice for multilingual families.
Notable bearers of Emma
Emma of Normandy (queen of England, d. 1052); Jane Austen's Emma (1815); Emma Watson, Emma Stone, Emma Thompson.
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Emma — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31