Girl · #2 in 2026

Emma

Name: Popularity of the name Emma in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Emma, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Emma is a feminine given name. It is derived from the Germanic word ermen, meaning "whole" or "universal". It likely originated as a short form of names such as Ermengarde or Ermentrude. The first woman bearing the name to appear in written sources is Emma of Austrasia, the Frankish wife of Eadbald of Kent.

English
French
Italian
Spanish

Current Rank

Peak Rank

#1 (2003)

Total Babies

789K

5-Yr Trend

-23%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

2003

Peak Year

Peak Rank

789K

Total Count

147

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Emma

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

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English
French
Italian
Spanish
Catalan
Swedish
Norwegian
Danish
Icelandic
Finnish
Latvian
Dutch
German
Hungarian
Germanic

The Story of Emma

Emma first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 2,003 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 22,719 Emmas were born — ranking #2 that year. As of 2026, Emma ranks #2 for baby girls with 12,814 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 789K Emmas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Emma

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Emma. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Emma

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

Emma, Lady Hamilton (1765–1815), English artist's model and performer
Emma, Lady Radford (died 1937), English antiquarian and public servant
Emma of Anjou (c. 1140 – c. 1214), Welsh royalty and half-sister of King Henry II of England
Emma of Austrasia (fl. early seventh century), Frankish royalty
Emma of Blois (c. 950–1003), Duchess consort of Aquitaine
Emma of France (died 935), Queen of Western Francia and military leader
Emma of Hawaii (1836–1885), queen to King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863
Emma of Italy (fl. 948-987), Queen of Western Francia

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

Where is Emma most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

China
26%
GH
22%
Nigeria
21%
UG
16%
CM
15%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Emma

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

Emmy
Emy
Ena
Ima
Emi
Emmie
Enna
Imma
Ummah
Emmi
Umma
Emmo

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Emma

What does the name Emma mean?

What is the origin of the name Emma?

Emma has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Germanic.

How popular is Emma in 2026?

In 2026, Emma ranks #2 among girls' names in the U.S., with 12,814 babies given the name that year.

When was Emma most popular?

Emma reached its peak popularity in 2003, ranking #1 that year with 22,719 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Emma most popular?

Emma has historically been most popular in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Emma.

Is Emma a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Emma is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Emma?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Emma include Mary, Emily, Sophia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Emma?

Common variants and related forms of Emma include Em, Ema, Emmi, Emmie, Emmy, Emy. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Emma

Emma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 789K births in the dataset. Emma's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare Emma'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.