How to say it
EM · uh
ˈɛm.ə
Feminine
Emma
Whole, universal
What it means
From the Germanic ermen, meaning whole or universal. A name with the feel of completeness, not ornament.
Emma came to England with Emma of Normandy in 1002, who married two English kings and mothered a third. The root ermen was a Germanic byword for greatness or totality, often the first half of long courtly compounds. Emma is the affectionate short form that outlived them all. Jane Austen's 1815 novel cemented the name's English elegance, and the modern revival starting in the 1980s pushed Emma to the most popular US girls' name through the 2010s.
How to spell Emma
The standard spelling is Emma. Common variants include Em, Emmy, Ema, but Emma is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #1 in 2008, currently #3 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Jane Austen's Emma, Emma Stone, and Emma Watson together cover most of the cultural surface, all flattering.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Emma Stone Actress, La La Land and Poor Things, two-time Oscar winner
- Emma Watson Hermione in the Harry Potter films, then UN women's-rights advocate
- Emma Woodhouse Title character of Jane Austen's Emma, 1815
- Emma Thompson British actress and screenwriter, Sense and Sensibility
Spelling variants
- Em
- Emmy
- Ema
Names with the same feeling
See Emma from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Emma mean?
- From the Germanic ermen, meaning whole or universal. A name with the feel of completeness, not ornament.
- What does Emma mean in Germanic?
- In Germanic, Emma means "Whole, universal." Emma came to England with Emma of Normandy in 1002, who married two English kings and mothered a third. The root ermen was a Germanic byword for greatness or totality, often the first half of long courtly compounds. Emma is the affectionate short form that outlived them all. Jane Austen's 1815 novel cemented the name's English elegance, and the modern revival starting in the 1980s pushed Emma to the most popular US girls' name through the 2010s.
- How do you pronounce Emma?
- Emma is pronounced ˈɛm.ə. Say it as EM-uh, with the stress on the "em" syllable.
- How do you spell Emma?
- The standard spelling is Emma. Common spelling variants include Em, Emmy, Ema.
- Is Emma a boy or girl name?
- Emma is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Emma?
- Emma ranked #3 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.