Emma

German

"universal"

Emma Origin and Meaning

The name Emma is a girl's name of German origin meaning "universal".

Emma has now been among the top girl names in the United States for several years, claiming the Number 1 crown in 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018 before dropping back to second place.

Emma is simple but has deep history, is streamlined and modern-feeling yet distinctly feminine. It's hard to find all those qualities combined in one name, which is exactly why so many parents (over 14,000 in the US last year) have chosen Emma, not just here but throughout the English-speaking world, Europe, and Latin America.

Emma has done handsprings up the charts internationally thanks to a legion of Emma heroines, from Bovary to Goldman to Jane Austen's protagonist, along with famous modern Emmas such as Emma Stone and Emma Watson. Parents who have turned from Emily to Emma seeking something more distinctive will have to keep looking.

It's worth noting that Emma, Emily, and the longtime British Number 1 Amelia, now in the US Top 10, all derive from different roots and have different meanings. But they continue to feel like very similar names.

Emma originated as a diminutive for Germanic names beginning with the ermen root. A very old royal name well used throughout the centuries—Queen Emma married King Ethelred the Unready in 1002—Emma is also historically associated with Lady Hamilton, the mistress of Lord Nelson and muse of painter George Romney.

Emma was given a big boost among popular baby names when it was given to Rachel and Ross's baby on Friends in 2002. It's also at the top of the list of the many fashionable girl names starting with E, which also includes Ella, Eleanor, and Eliza.

Parents who love Emma but think it's overexposed have been moving to such alternatives as Amelia, Emilia, Amelie, Emmeline, and Ella. But, of course, many of these names are poised to move up and take Emma's place near the top of the list.

Three of the hottest young female stars share the name: Emma Watson, Emma Roberts, and Emma (born Emily) Stone.

Emma Rank in US Top 1000

# 2 in the US

Emma Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 45 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Emma

• 2 US 2024
• 45 Nameberry 2025
• 2 Canada 2023
• 11 Future 2035
• 69 England 2024
• 54 scotland 2024
• 17 Ireland 2024
• 79 Australia 2024
• 56 New Zealand 2024
• 5 France 2024
• 3 Germany 2024
• 1 Netherlands 2024
• 9 Italy 2023
• 8 Spain 2023
• 44 Portugal 2020
• 49 Mexico 2021
• 56 sweden 2024
• 2 Norway 2024
• 1 Denmark 2024
• 16 Finland 2024
• 15 Iceland 2024
• 2 Belgium 2024
• 1 switzerland 2024
• 2 Austria 2024
• 5 Hungary 2024
• 78 Poland 2024
• 82 slovenia 2024
• 37 Israel 2023
• 1 Argentina 2021
• 1 Chile 2023
• 60 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024
• 57 Dogs 2022
• 87 Cats 2022

20 Names Similar to Emma

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Emma.

• Grace
• Sophia
• Olivia
• Ella
• Sophie
• Emily
• Abigail
• Mia
• Claire
• Isabella
• Chloe
• Anna
• Ava
• Lily
• Hannah
• Amelia
• Charlotte
• Eva
• Madeline
• Sofia

Famous People Named Emma

• Emma of Normandy Queen consort of Ethelred the Unread(y) and Cnut the Great of England
• Emma of France Queen consort of Rudolph of Burgundy, King of West Francia
• (Adelheid) Emma Wilhelmina Theresia of Waldeck and Pyrmont Queen consort of William III of the Netherlands
• Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke Queen consort of Kamehameha IV of Hawaii
• Emma Tremblay American actress
• Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson English actress
• Emily Jean "Emma" Stone American actress
• Emma Goldman Lithuanian,American socialist and labor organizer
• Emma Thompson English actress
• Emma Louise Slater English dancer
• Emma Donoghue Irish novelist and playwright
• (Carolyn) Emma Kirkby English operatic soprano
• Emma Princess of Anhalt,Bernburg,Schaumburg,Hoym; Princess consort George II of Waldeck and Pyrmont; mother of Queen Emma of the Netherlands
• Emma Lazarus American poet
• Emma Louise Hewitt Australian singer,songwriter
• Emma Moore English actress
• Emma Caulfield American actress
• Emma Kate Lahana New Zealand actress
• Emma of Austrasia daughter of Theudebert II and possibly wife of Eadbald of Kent
• Emma Hale Smith Bidamon first wife of American Mormon leader Joseph Smith
• Emma Lockhart American actress
• Emma Hart Willard American suffragist and educator
• Emma De Caunes French actress
• Emma Catherine Rigby English actress
• Emma Ferguson English actress
• Emma Kristina Degerstedt American actress
• Emma Dumont (born Emma Noelle Roberts) American actress
• Emma Jean Bell American actress
• Emma Myles American actress
• Emma Wedgwood Darwin wife of biologist Charles Darwin
• Emma Lee Bunton aka Baby Spice English singer of the Spice Girls
• Emma Howard American actress
• Emma Louise Blackery British vlogger
• Emma Härdelin Swedish musician of Garmarna and Triakel, daughter of violinist Thore Härdelin
• Emma Princess of Schaumburg,Lippe; daughter of Prince George William
• Emma Louise Willis English TV Presenter
• Emma Reed Martelli American child model
• Emma McKeon Australian swimmer
• Emma Johansson Swedish cyclist
• Emma Tonegato Australian rugby player
• Emma Hellenkamp American dancer and model
• Emma Mitchell Scottish football player
• Emma Greer DiBiase American Internet personality
• Emma Katherine Walton Hamilton, English actress; daughter of actress Julie Andrews
• Emma Chawner Scottish singer; daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly
• Emma Ashley daughter of fashion designer Laura Ashley
• Emma Frances Gough (b. 1953) daughter of actor Michael Gough
• Emma Kristen Walsh (b. 1971) daughter of musician Joe Walsh
• Emma Beth Bloomberg Frissora (b. 1979) daughter of politician Michael Bloomberg
• Emma Ruck (b. 1987) daughter of actor Alan Ruck
• Emma Raacke (b. 1991) daughter of actors Natja Brunckhorst and Dominic Raacke
• Emma Rose Raimi (b. 1994) daughter of director Sam Raimi and Gillian Greene
• Emma Taylor (b. 1997) daughter of musician Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones
• Emma Justine McBride (b. 1998) daughter of singer Martina McBride
• Emma Claire Edwards (b. 1998) daughter of politicians John and Elizabeth Edwards
• Emma Scarlet Faldo (b. 2003) daughter of golfer Nick Faldo
• Emma Scott (b. 2001) daughter of actor Eric Scott
• Emma Paula Vanderloo (b. 2004) daughter of Dutch actors Robine van der Meer and Mark Vanderloo
• Emma Yoshiko Hedican (b. 2005) daughter of skater Kristi Yamaguchi and ice hockey player Bret Hedican
• Emma Francisca Catharina van Vollenhoven (b. 2006) daughter of Prince Pieter,Christiaan of Orange,Nassau
• Emma Tallulah Behn (b. 2007) daughter of Princess Martha Louise of Norway
• Emma Rose Lima daughter of producer Brenda Chapman; inspiration for Merida of Pixar's "Brave"
• Emma Cecile Rigonat (b. 2009) daughter of singer Elisa and Andrea Rigonat
• Emma Metzelder (b. 2009) daughter of footballer Christoph Metzelder
• Emma Elizabeth Biffle (b. 2011) daughter of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle
• Emma Alonso Aranburu (b. 2013) daughter of footballer Xabi Alonso
• Emma Marie Charlotte Sophie (b. 2015) Princess of Prussia; daughter of Prince Georg Friedrich
• Emma Deru daughter of vlogger Julie Deru
• Emma Rantalla Finnish rhythmic gymnast
• Emma González Parkland, FL shooting survivor and activist
• Emma Roberts American actress

The name Emma in Pop Culture

• Emma Woodhouse main character in "Emma" by Jane Austen
• Emma Pillsbury character on TV's Glee
• Emma Swan character on TV's Once Upon a Time
• Emma Ross character on TV's "Jessie"
• Emma Frost character in X,Men comics
• Emma Cordelia Carstairs character in The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices series
• Emma Bovary main character in "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert
• "Emma Zunz " short story by Jorge Luis Borges
• Emma Geller Green, Ross & Rachel's daughter on TV's Friends
• Emma Becker character in The Lying Game series
• Emma Jane Hawthorne character in Mother,Daughter Book Club series
• Emma Tolly a character in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
• Emma Ryland character on TV's Dallas
• Emma Alonso main character on TV's Every Witch Way
• Emma Gilbert main character on H2O: Just Add Water
• Emma Scorpio Drake, character on soap General Hospital
• Emma Bloom character in 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'
• Emma Nelson character on TV's Degrassi: the Next Generation
• Emma Peel character on TV's The Avengers
• Aunt Emma character in movie The Wolf of Wall Street
• Emma Horton character from the movie Terms of Endearment
• Emma Ravenhearst character in video game "Mystery case files"
• Emma Chota character on TV's "Red Band Society"
• Emma Hatch character in "The Sims 3" computer game
• Di. L. Emma Riddle character in "The Sims 3" computer game
• Emma Tuttweiler character on TV's The Suite Life on Deck
• Emma character in book/movie ''Blue is The Warmest Colour''
• Emma Castelli character on TV's "Alex & Co."
• Emma Wheeler character on TV's Baby Daddy
• Emma Duval main character on MTV's "Scream"
• Emma a LEGO Friends character
• "Emma" song by Imagine Dragons
• "For Emma Forever Ago," album by Bon Iver
• Emma Geller character from Netflix's "Greenhouse Academy"
• Emma Agreste/Dupain Cheng, imaginary daughter of Marinette Dupain,Cheng and Adrien Agrest in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
• Emma Vanderboom character in Rusty Lake: Roots
• Emma main character in the manga/anime series "The Promised Neverland".
• Emma aka Great Aunt Emma, also called Grinny , alien disguised as old elderly human woman in the 1973 Nicholas Fisk
• Emma Saylor Payne main character in novel "The Rest of the Story"
• Emma Tanner titular character in novel "Emma in the Night"
• Emma Stanton main character in movie "Switching Goals"