Emma
How to say it: EM-uh · /ˈɛmə/
Whole, universal — from the Old High German ermen (whole), a short form of names beginning with Ermen-.
Emma was the 4th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 12,754 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are down about 37% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #12 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #4 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 12,754 |
| Share of births | 1 in 256 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | −37% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #12 |
| In France, 2025 | #8 among girls’ names, 2,320 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
After nearly disappearing in the 1970s, Emma came back. It peaked in the 1880s and now sits well below that high, with the next few years likely to bring a gentle slip.
What goes with it
Soft and gentle with a literary touch, Emma travels well across languages. Emmy as a nickname and Sophia as a stylistic companion both echo its charm.
Middle names that flow with Emma →
Nicknames
- Em
- Emmy
Honouring a Emma in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Emma is about 1 in 11.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh.
In France: #8 for girls in 2025.
England and Wales: #85. Ireland: #28.
Famous people named Emma
- Emma Watson (born 1990)English actress
- Emma Thompson (born 1959)English actress and screenwriter
- Emma Goldman (1869–1940)Russian-born American anarchist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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