Girl name · Germanic
Emma
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: whole, universalEmma is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "whole, universal". It is used in English, Irish, French, German, Italian and Spanish and more.
- Meaning
- Whole, universal
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #3 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Emma
As a girl's name, Emma comes from Germanic and means "whole, universal". It is used in English, Irish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Scandinavian.
In French, say eh-MAH. In Italian, say EM-mah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Emma on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Emma on 6 lists.
“Whole, universal; Germanic. No. 7 in France in 2025. Say eh-MAH”
From French girl names, popular French girl names right now
“Whole, universal; Germanic irmin. Second in Germany in 2025”
From German girl names, popular German girl names
“Whole, universal; Germanic. Say EM-mah”
From Italian girl names, popular Italian girls' names right now
“Whole, universal; Germanic. A Norman duke's daughter who was twice queen of England”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval female names from England and France
“Whole, universal; Germanic. In Spain's 2024 top 10 (INE)”
From Spanish girl names, popular Spanish girls' names in Spain (INE 2024)
“Whole, universal; Germanic. Jane Austen's matchmaking heroine”
From Vintage girl names, royal and literary vintage names
How popular is Emma?
- US rank in 2025
- #3
- 12,754 babies, 7,935 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1 in 2008
- Most babies: 22,719 in 2003
- Babies since 1880
- At least 776,439
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 19,353 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 12,897 per million |
| 1900s | 8,258 per million |
| 1910s | 5,127 per million |
| 1920s | 3,894 per million |
| 1930s | 2,816 per million |
| 1940s | 1,573 per million |
| 1950s | 760 per million |
| 1960s | 383 per million |
| 1970s | 302 per million |
| 1980s | 604 per million |
| 1990s | 3,235 per million |
| 2000s | 9,819 per million |
| 2010s | 11,146 per million |
| 2020s | 8,803 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1 | #1 | #1 | #2 | #2 | #2 | #2 | #2 | #2 | #3 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Emma
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Emcommon English nickname
- Emmycommon English nickname
Other forms of Emma
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EmmieWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- EmmyWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
Names spelled like Emma
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- EmaBlossom and jasmine (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- EsmaSupreme, exalted (Arabic, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EllaShort form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore (Germanic, girl)
- EsméEsteemed, loved (Old French, girl)
- ÉalaSwan (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- EdnaPleasure, delight (Hebrew, girl)
- EfaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- IrmaWhole, great (Germanic, girl)
- ErmentrudeWhole strength (Germanic, girl)
- EmmettWhole, universal (Germanic, boy)
- ErmengardeWhole enclosure (Germanic, girl)
- ImkeWhole, great (Germanic, girl)
- IrmgardWhole enclosure (Germanic, girl)
- KalebVariant of Caleb, most likely dog; or whole heart (Hebrew, boy)
- NikhilWhole, complete (Sanskrit, boy)
- SokratisWhole, unwounded power (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Emma
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AdelineNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- HarmonyConcord, agreement (Greek, girl)
- LinneaTwinflower, a woodland flower (Swedish, girl)
- OttilieWealth, fortune (Germanic, girl)
- RosamundHorse protection (Germanic, girl)
- SabineSabine woman (Latin, girl)
- SophiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- VioletViolet flower (Latin, girl)
More girl names from Germanic
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
Emma: common questions
What does the name Emma mean?
Emma comes from Germanic and means "whole, universal".
Is Emma a boy or girl name?
Emma is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 12,754 girls and 14 boys in the US were named Emma, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Emma?
Common nicknames for Emma include Em and Emmy.
How popular is the name Emma?
Emma ranked #3 in the US in 2025, with 12,754 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Emma?
Forms of Emma with the same meaning and origin include Emmie (English) and Emmy (English).
What middle names go with Emma?
Middle names that flow well with Emma include Adeline, Harmony, Linnea, Ottilie and Rosamund. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.