Girl · #195 in 2026

Gemma

Gemma is an Italian female name, of Latin origin, meaning "bud" or "precious stone". The name has been amongst the most popular in England and Scotland during the 1980s.

Current Rank
#195
Peak Rank
#176 (2023)
Total Babies
27K
5-Yr Trend
+11%
1904
First Year
2026
Last Year
2023
Peak Year
#176
Peak Rank
27K
Total Count
122
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gemma

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gemma is an Italian female name, of Latin origin, meaning "bud" or "precious stone". The name has been amongst the most popular in England and Scotland during the 1980s.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Gemma

Gemma first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1904, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 1,653 Gemmas were born — ranking #176 that year. As of 2026, Gemma ranks #195 for baby girls with 1,598 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 27K Gemmas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Gemma

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gemma is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gemma

What does the name Gemma mean?
Gemma is an Italian female name, of Latin origin, meaning "bud" or "precious stone". The name has been amongst the most popular in England and Scotland during the 1980s.
How popular is Gemma in 2026?
In 2026, Gemma ranks #195 among girls' names in the U.S., with 1,598 babies given the name that year.
When was Gemma most popular?
Gemma reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #176 that year with 1,653 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Gemma most popular?
Gemma has historically been most popular in South Dakota, District of Columbia, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gemma.
Is Gemma a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gemma is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Gemma?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gemma include Justine, Julianna, Cameron. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Gemma

Gemma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1904 and has accumulated 27K births in the dataset. Gemma's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #176. Use the chart and map above to compare Gemma's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.