Emma
99% girls · 1% boys
About Emma
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 is also given to boys, where it ranks #6222 in the US.
Pronounced EM-uh.
As of October 2026, Emma ranked #3 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1 in 2015, Nameberry popularity #34.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1 | 20,962 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #1 | 20,485 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #1 | 19,548 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1 | 19,870 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1 | 18,818 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #2 | 17,221 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #2 | 15,714 | #4,906 | 19 |
| 2021 | #2 | 15,543 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #2 | 14,498 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #2 | 13,579 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #2 | 13,485 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #3 | 12,754 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Emma.
Emma on lists
Famous Emmas
- Emma of NormandyGirl
Queen consort of Ethelred the Unread(y) and Cnut the Great of England
- Emma of FranceGirl
Queen consort of Rudolph of Burgundy, King of West Francia
- (Adelheid) Emma Wilhelmina Theresia of Waldeck and PyrmontGirl
Queen consort of William III of the Netherlands
- Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea RookeGirl
Queen consort of Kamehameha IV of Hawaii
- Emma TremblayGirl
American actress
- Emma Charlotte Duerre WatsonGirl
English actress
- Emily Jean "Emma" StoneGirl
American actress
- Emma GoldmanGirl
Lithuanian,American socialist and labor organizer
- Emma ThompsonGirl
English actress
- Emma Louise SlaterGirl
English dancer
- Emma DonoghueGirl
Irish novelist and playwright
- (Carolyn) Emma KirkbyGirl
English operatic soprano
- EmmaGirl
Princess of Anhalt,Bernburg,Schaumburg,Hoym; Princess consort George II of Waldeck and Pyrmont; mother of Queen Emma of the Netherlands
- Emma LazarusGirl
American poet
- Emma Louise HewittGirl
Australian singer,songwriter
- Emma MooreGirl
English actress
- Emma CaulfieldGirl
American actress
- Emma Kate LahanaGirl
New Zealand actress
- Emma of AustrasiaGirl
daughter of Theudebert II and possibly wife of Eadbald of Kent
- Emma Hale Smith BidamonGirl
first wife of American Mormon leader Joseph Smith
- Emma LockhartGirl
American actress
- Emma Hart WillardGirl
American suffragist and educator
- Emma De CaunesGirl
French actress
- Emma Catherine RigbyGirl
English actress
- Emma FergusonGirl
English actress
- Emma Kristina DegerstedtGirl
American actress
- Emma Dumont (born Emma Noelle Roberts)Girl
American actress
- Emma Jean BellGirl
American actress
- Emma MylesGirl
American actress
- Emma Wedgwood DarwinGirl
wife of biologist Charles Darwin
- Emma Lee Bunton aka Baby SpiceGirl
English singer of the Spice Girls
- Emma HowardGirl
American actress
- Emma Louise BlackeryGirl
British vlogger
- Emma HärdelinGirl
Swedish musician of Garmarna and Triakel, daughter of violinist Thore Härdelin
- EmmaGirl
Princess of Schaumburg,Lippe; daughter of Prince George William
- Emma Louise WillisGirl
English TV Presenter
- Emma Reed MartelliGirl
American child model
- Emma McKeonGirl
Australian swimmer
- Emma JohanssonGirl
Swedish cyclist
- Emma TonegatoGirl
Australian rugby player
- Emma HellenkampGirl
American dancer and model
- Emma MitchellGirl
Scottish football player
- Emma Greer DiBiaseGirl
American Internet personality
- Emma Katherine WaltonGirl
Hamilton, English actress; daughter of actress Julie Andrews
- Emma ChawnerGirl
Scottish singer; daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly
- Emma AshleyGirl
daughter of fashion designer Laura Ashley
- Emma Frances Gough (b. 1953)Girl
daughter of actor Michael Gough
- Emma Kristen Walsh (b. 1971)Girl
daughter of musician Joe Walsh
- Emma Beth Bloomberg Frissora (b. 1979)Girl
daughter of politician Michael Bloomberg
- Emma Ruck (b. 1987)Girl
daughter of actor Alan Ruck
- Emma Raacke (b. 1991)Girl
daughter of actors Natja Brunckhorst and Dominic Raacke
- Emma Rose Raimi (b. 1994)Girl
daughter of director Sam Raimi and Gillian Greene
- Emma Taylor (b. 1997)Girl
daughter of musician Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones
- Emma Justine McBride (b. 1998)Girl
daughter of singer Martina McBride
- Emma Claire Edwards (b. 1998)Girl
daughter of politicians John and Elizabeth Edwards
- Emma Scarlet Faldo (b. 2003)Girl
daughter of golfer Nick Faldo
- Emma Scott (b. 2001)Girl
daughter of actor Eric Scott
- Emma Paula Vanderloo (b. 2004)Girl
daughter of Dutch actors Robine van der Meer and Mark Vanderloo
- Emma Yoshiko Hedican (b. 2005)Girl
daughter of skater Kristi Yamaguchi and ice hockey player Bret Hedican
- Emma Francisca Catharina van Vollenhoven (b. 2006)Girl
daughter of Prince Pieter,Christiaan of Orange,Nassau
- Emma Tallulah Behn (b. 2007)Girl
daughter of Princess Martha Louise of Norway
- Emma Rose LimaGirl
daughter of producer Brenda Chapman; inspiration for Merida of Pixar's "Brave"
- Emma Cecile Rigonat (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of singer Elisa and Andrea Rigonat
- Emma Metzelder (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of footballer Christoph Metzelder
- Emma Elizabeth Biffle (b. 2011)Girl
daughter of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle
- Emma Alonso Aranburu (b. 2013)Girl
daughter of footballer Xabi Alonso
- Emma Marie Charlotte Sophie (b. 2015)Girl
Princess of Prussia; daughter of Prince Georg Friedrich
- Emma DeruGirl
daughter of vlogger Julie Deru
- Emma RantallaGirl
Finnish rhythmic gymnast
- Emma GonzálezGirl
Parkland, FL shooting survivor and activist
- Emma RobertsGirl
American actress
- Emma Elizabeth MyersGirl
American actress
- Emma WatkinsGirl
The Yellow Wiggle (from 2013 to 2021)
Emma in pop culture
- Emma WoodhouseGirl
main character in "Emma" by Jane Austen
- Emma PillsburyGirl
character on TV's Glee
- Emma SwanGirl
character on TV's Once Upon a Time
- Emma RossGirl
character on TV's "Jessie"
- Emma FrostGirl
character in X,Men comics
- Emma Cordelia CarstairsGirl
character in The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices series
- Emma BovaryGirl
main character in "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert
- "Emma ZunzGirl
" short story by Jorge Luis Borges
- Emma GellerGirl
Green, Ross & Rachel's daughter on TV's Friends
- Emma BeckerGirl
character in The Lying Game series
- Emma Jane HawthorneGirl
character in Mother,Daughter Book Club series
- Emma TollyGirl
a character in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
- Emma RylandGirl
character on TV's Dallas
- Emma AlonsoGirl
main character on TV's Every Witch Way
- Emma GilbertGirl
main character on H2O: Just Add Water
- Emma ScorpioGirl
Drake, character on soap General Hospital
- Emma BloomGirl
character in 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'
- Emma NelsonGirl
character on TV's Degrassi: the Next Generation
- Emma PeelGirl
character on TV's The Avengers
- Aunt EmmaGirl
character in movie The Wolf of Wall Street
- Emma HortonGirl
character from the movie Terms of Endearment
- Emma RavenhearstGirl
character in video game "Mystery case files"
- Emma ChotaGirl
character on TV's "Red Band Society"
- Emma HatchGirl
character in "The Sims 3" computer game
- Di. L. Emma RiddleGirl
character in "The Sims 3" computer game
- Emma TuttweilerGirl
character on TV's The Suite Life on Deck
- EmmaGirl
character in book/movie ''Blue is The Warmest Colour''
- Emma CastelliGirl
character on TV's "Alex & Co."
- Emma WheelerGirl
character on TV's Baby Daddy
- Emma DuvalGirl
main character on MTV's "Scream"
- EmmaGirl
a LEGO Friends character
- "Emma"Girl
song by Imagine Dragons
- "For EmmaGirl
Forever Ago," album by Bon Iver
- Emma GellerGirl
character from Netflix's "Greenhouse Academy"
- Emma Agreste/DupainGirl
Cheng, imaginary daughter of Marinette Dupain,Cheng and Adrien Agrest in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
- Emma VanderboomGirl
character in Rusty Lake: Roots
- EmmaGirl
main character in the manga/anime series "The Promised Neverland".
- EmmaGirl
aka Great Aunt Emma, also called Grinny , alien disguised as old elderly human woman in the 1973 Nicholas Fisk
- Emma Saylor PayneGirl
main character in novel "The Rest of the Story"
- Emma TannerGirl
titular character in novel "Emma in the Night"
- Emma StantonGirl
main character in movie "Switching Goals"
- "When Emma Falls In Love"Girl
Song by Taylor Swift featured on "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"
- emma perkinsGirl
character from the guy who didn’t like musicals
- Emma Wiggle Girl
The Yellow Wiggle (from 2013 to 2021)