What does the name Emma mean?

Emma means whole, universal. From 'ermen'.

Where does the name Emma come from?

Emma is a girl name of Germanic origin.

Is Emma a boy or a girl name?

Emma is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Emma are girls and 0% are boys.

How popular is the name Emma in 2023?

Emma ranks #2 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2003 with 22,756 babies.

How do you pronounce Emma?

Emma is pronounced EM-ah (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Emma?

Emma is also written as Ema, Emmy.

A name from Germanic · Girl

Emma

Whole, universal. From 'ermen'.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

750,161 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

13,607 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

EWhole, universal. From 'ermen'.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Emma".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Ema Most common Emmy

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Emma.

E
Emma Watson (actress)
E
Emma Stone (actress)

Quick answers

People often ask about Emma.

What does the name Emma mean?: Emma means whole, universal. From 'ermen'.
Where does the name Emma come from?: Emma is a girl name of Germanic origin.
Is Emma a boy or a girl name?: Emma is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Emma are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Emma in 2023?: Emma ranks #2 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2003 with 22,756 babies.
How do you pronounce Emma?: Emma is pronounced EM-ah (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Emma?: Emma is also written as Ema, Emmy.

Similar names

If you love Emma, also consider…

Robert

#88

Boy ·Germanic

Bright fame; from 'hrod' (fame) and 'beraht' (bright)

From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

Walter

#267

Boy ·Germanic

From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

A variant of Caroline, feminine of Charles — from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.