Jane Austen handed us the definitive Emma in 1815 — "handsome, clever, and rich" — and the name has been quietly running the world ever since. Its roots sink into the Germanic ermen, meaning whole or universal, a word that once described kingdoms and now describes a kindergartner with strong opinions about her socks. Emma topped the American charts for most of the last decade and remains a fixture at the summit. Two syllables, symmetrical, a soft hum that ends in an open vowel like a question you don't mind answering. Vintage without being dusty. Complete, in the oldest sense of the word.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
No common nicknames.
Famous people
- Emma Watson — English model, activist, and former actress (born 1990)
- Emma Goldman — Russian-born American anarchist (1869–1940)
- Emma Thompson — British actress and screenwriter (born 1959)
- Emma Roberts — American actress, singer, model and producer
- Charli XCX — British singer (born 1992)
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
Sibling name ideas
- Nora
- Sofia
- Ava
- Charlotte
- Gianna
Similar energy
- Nora
- Sofia
- Ava
- Charlotte
- Gianna
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Nora
SteadyItalian · girl
Short for Honora, Eleanor, or Norah; 'honor' or 'light'.
Sofia
SteadyItalian · girl
female given name
Ava
SteadyItalian · girl
Possibly from Germanic aval, 'desired', or Latin avis, 'bird'.
Charlotte
SteadyEnglish · girl
French feminine of Charles; 'free woman' or 'petite'.
Gianna
SteadyItalian · girl
female given name