Names That Mean 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.

Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.

Long a nickname for all the Em-names, as well as an annual award, Emmy is now being given on its own, as are soundalikes Emme and Emmi. Might be too identified with the TV awards--though that doesn't seem to have hurt Oscar or Tony. We think Emmy is a little too cutesey, and is probably best kept as a nickname for something that ages a little better.

Introduced by "plus-size" model Emme (born Melissa) and now a legitimate member of the Em-starting girls' name group, especially since it was chosen by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony for their twin daughter.

Appealing crosscultural choice.

Emmett has had an interesting and unusual gender history. A long-obscure masculinization of Emma, Emmett is now rising as a boys' name as a companion to the very popular Emma and Emily. And at the same time, Emmett itself is seen by a handful of parents as a new spin for girls on those uber-popular choices. While the Emmet spelling might still seem most masculine, the extra T in Emmett does make it seem girl-appropriate. Emmette is an even more feminine spelling. But don't be too alarmed: There were over 3000 boys named Emmett in one recent year compared to only 13 girls.

Common form of Emma found in the Baltic and Slavic states.

Ermentrude was the name of two medieval queens of France. Despite these distinguished beginnings, this antique name is unlikely to catch on with contemporary parents, perhaps because the first syllable may sound unattractive to the modern ear and the last two syllables are the equivalent of intrude. Then there's that rude final syllable. English variant Ermintrude is equally unlikely to find favor.

The name of a prophet in the Book of Mormon, coinciding with a Latin prefix meaning "all, every".

Immilla is a soft and mellifluous sounding name which is exponentially more attractive than the original. The name offers several lovely nickname options, such as Immy, Millie, and Mila. Immilla of Turin, a medieval countess, was a notable bearer of this rare name.

This name was used by the royal House of Luxembourg in the Middle Ages, as a diminutive of Irmentrude. We definitely think this spunky shortening improves upon the heavy German original.

Imma is the Low German translation of Emma now primarily used in Scandinavia.

Everyone has heard of Genghis Khan, 12th century warrior and founder of the Mongol empire. The name was brought into the modern world by soccer star Hope Solo and football player Jerramy Stevens, who chose it as the middle name for their son Vittorio, whose twin sister is named Lozen after a female Apache warrior.

A diminutive of Irma, used in Germany, Iceland, and Scandinavia.