Girl's name
Emma
Say it EM-uh
Germanic origin entire
2 syllables
Where Emma is loved, common and rare
Loved in six German cities, Quebec, Austria and 14 more places. Common across Ireland, Israel, the UK and nine more places. Rare in Slovenia.
1 in 154 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Austria 1stQuebec 1stNorway 1st
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 37 of the 40 official lists, among them Austria (1st), Quebec (1st) and Norway (1st).
Show all 37 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 1st 2025 | 559 | 1 in 64 |
| Quebec province | 1st 2025 | 485 | about 1 in 54 |
| Norway | 1st 2025 | 386 | 1 in 56 |
| Munich city | 1st 2025 | 81 | about 1 in 52 |
| Switzerland | 2nd 2025 | 361 | 1 in 94 |
| British Columbia province | 2nd 2023 | 142 | about 1 in 84 |
| Cologne city | 2nd 2023 | 78 | about 1 in 79 |
| Hungary | 4th 2025 | 672 | rank only |
| Catalonia region | 4th 2025 | 349 | 1 in 55 |
| Berlin city | 4th 2023 | 157 | about 1 in 92 |
| Ontario province | 5th 2024 | 488 | about 1 in 112 |
| France | 7th 2025 | 2,320 | 1 in 124 |
| The Netherlands | 7th 2025 | 605 | about 1 in 101 |
| Italy | 10th 2024 | 2,539 | 1 in 71 |
| Spain | 10th 2024 | 1,618 | rank only |
| Ireland | 28th 2025 | 137 | 1 in 154 |
| Israel אמה | 36th 2024 | 492 | about 1 in 160 |
| Victoria state | 58th 2025 | 110 | rank only |
| New Zealand | 61st 2025 | 58 | rank only |
| South Australia state | 61st 2025 | 26 | rank only |
| New South Wales state | 65th 2025 | 107 | rank only |
| Poland | 77th 2025 | 279 | 1 in 429 |
| Northern Ireland | 77th 2025 | 27 | 1 in 270 |
| Sweden | 81st 2025 | 125 | about 1 in 321 |
| Queensland state | 84th 2025 | 59 | rank only |
| England and Wales | 85th 2025 | 536 | 1 in 473 |
| Scotland | 94th 2025 | 46 | 1 in 389 |
| Slovenia | 108th 2025 | 16 | about 1 in 413 |
| Bonn city | 2nd 2025 | 34 | about 1 in 89 |
| Estonia | 3rd 2025 | 75 | rank only |
| Rostock city | 3rd 2025 | 14 | about 1 in 70 |
| Iceland | 4th 2025 | no count | rank only |
| Denmark | 5th 2025 | 413 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 8th 2025 | 22 | about 1 in 119 |
| Argentina | 9th 2024 | 4,726 | rank only |
| Nova Scotia province | 17th 2025 | 19 | rank only |
| Finland | 27th 2025 | 133 | rank only |
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Belügyminisztérium, Nyilvántartások (kormany.hu) (Hungary); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Siseministeerium (rahvastikuregister) (Estonia); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Þjóðskrá (Registers Iceland) (Iceland); Statistics Denmark (DST) (Denmark); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); RENAPER, Dirección Nacional de Población (datos.gob.ar) (Argentina); Nova Scotia Vital Statistics (data.novascotia.ca) (Nova Scotia); Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) (Finland). How we count, and every source
About the name
Brought to England by the Normans, Emma began as a short form of Germanic names starting with Ermin- or Irmin-, an element meaning 'entire'.
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Two syllables, EM-uh, make it one of the simplest names to say in almost any language. Emmy and Emmie are the familiar pet forms, and Gemma and Irma appear among its variants, along with longer blends such as Emmalyn.
Emma is the top girls' name in Quebec, Austria and Norway, and second in British Columbia and Switzerland. It has been a favourite for a long while: the French records show it peaking in 2005. Since then it has eased in most of the places where it is tracked, yet it remains one of the most widely used names across Europe and Canada.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- EM-uh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
entire
- Origin
- Germanic
- Other spellings
- Emmie
- Emmy
- Irma
- Ema
- Gemma
- Emmabel
- Emmabeth
- Emmalee
- Emmalyn
- Emmalynn
- Em
- Ermengarde
- Emmi
- Irmgard
- Hemma
- Aemilia
- Imma
Etymology
Brought to England by the Normans; short form of compound given names beginning with a Frankish prototheme Ermin- or Irmin- "entire", from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 2 of 35 regions, falling in 15.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 53 | 52 | 56 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 68 | 71 | 69 | 85 |
| Scotland | 19 | 24 | 23 | 34 | 44 | 49 | 50 | 43 | 53 | 94 |
| Northern Ireland | 25 | 22 | 27 | 34 | 40 | 55 | 46 | 95 | 84 | 77 |
| Ireland | 7 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 28 |
| Ontario | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | |
| British Columbia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Nova Scotia | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 3 | 18 | 20 | 17 |
| New South Wales | 27 | 23 | 31 | 40 | 36 | 50 | 62 | 53 | 64 | 65 |
| Victoria | 25 | 25 | 38 | 31 | 41 | 49 | 56 | 59 | 62 | 58 |
| Queensland | 29 | 34 | 32 | 37 | 55 | 57 | 70 | 70 | 84 | |
| South Australia | 31 | 45 | 36 | 38 | 63 | 55 | 48 | 84 | 78 | 61 |
| New Zealand | 26 | 18 | 26 | 27 | 45 | 43 | 53 | 67 | 54 | 61 |
| Quebec | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| France | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| The Netherlands | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| Austria | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Berlin | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Munich | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Cologne | 8 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Bonn | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Leipzig | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Rostock | 3 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Norway | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sweden | 17 | 25 | 32 | 36 | 39 | 51 | 57 | 65 | 57 | 81 |
| Denmark | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Finland | 9 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 27 | |||||
| Iceland | 12 | 3 | 6 | 4 | ||||||
| Spain | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | |
| Catalonia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| Italy | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | |
| Poland | 84 | 86 | 98 | 97 | 96 | 90 | 88 | 84 | 77 | 77 |
| Hungary | 9 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Slovenia | 105 | 88 | 89 | 100 | 80 | 85 | 96 | 133 | 80 | 108 |
| Estonia | 21 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Israel | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 22 | 30 | 37 | 36 | |
| Argentina | 13 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85 | 536 | 211.6 |
| 2024 | 69 | 666 | 258.2 |
| 2023 | 71 | 654 | 254.9 |
| 2022 | 68 | 747 | 283.5 |
| 2021 | 61 | 860 | 313.8 |
| 2020 | 60 | 816 | 304.0 |
| 2019 | 59 | 900 | 321.4 |
| 2018 | 56 | 957 | 332.0 |
| 2017 | 52 | 1,042 | 348.4 |
| 2016 | 53 | 1,080 | 351.6 |
| 2015 | 60 | 1,017 | 330.3 |
| 2014 | 57 | 1,071 | 349.2 |
| 2013 | 55 | 1,045 | 338.8 |
| 2012 | 50 | 1,149 | 356.8 |
| 2011 | 49 | 1,221 | 380.0 |
| 2010 | 48 | 1,373 | 427.7 |
| 2009 | 41 | 1,477 | 471.3 |
| 2008 | 31 | 1,744 | 552.3 |
| 2007 | 29 | 1,854 | 605.6 |
| 2006 | 27 | 1,989 | 664.7 |
| 2005 | 23 | 2,144 | 743.8 |
| 2004 | 20 | 2,638 | 922.8 |
| 2003 | 19 | 2,711 | 972.8 |
| 2002 | 27 | 1,906 | 712.9 |
| 2001 | 20 | 2,277 | 849.6 |
| 2000 | 17 | 2,574 | 942.3 |
| 1999 | 17 | 2,920 | 1,036.6 |
| 1998 | 15 | 3,565 | 1,232.8 |
| 1997 | 13 | 4,126 | 1,407.3 |
| 1996 | 14 | 4,232 | 1,429.7 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Emma in France since 1925 were born in or after 2008. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2005, at 1,906.5 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Emma per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2005 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Emma
1 in 88 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Emma.
1 in 197 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma.
1 in 126 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Emma.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Sophia and Sophie.
1 in 109 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Emma. Same first letter as Emma.
1 in 70 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma.
1 in 146 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma. Same first letter as Emma.
1 in 127 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Emma.
Middle names for Emma
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Emma Grace
2-1 beats · initials EG
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Emma Olivia
2-4 beats · initials EO · Emma slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Emma slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Emma Sophia
2-3 beats · initials ES
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Emma Maria
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Emma Rose
2-1 beats · initials ER
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Emma Julia
2-3 beats · initials EJ
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Emma Miriam
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Emma Emily
2-3 beats · initials EE · Emma slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Emma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Emma slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Same style as Emma
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 71 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 126 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 190 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
1 in 271 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Emma across countries and decades.
Famous people named Emma
Emma Watson, Emma Goldman, Emma Thompson, Emma Roberts, Emma Raducanu, Emma Bunton, Emma Morano and Emma of Normandy.
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English actress (born 1990)
-
Russian-born American anarchist (1869–1940)
-
English actress and screenwriter (born 1959)
-
American actress, singer, model and producer (born 1991)
-
British tennis player (born 2002)
-
British singer (born 1976)
-
Italian supercentenarian (1899–2017)
-
Norman princess and mother of Edward the Confessor 987 to 1052
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Emma
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Emma?
Her best rank is No. 1 in Quebec in 2025, about 1 in 54 girls. She is in the published lists of 37 of our 40 regions.
What does Emma mean?
Wiktionary glosses Emma as "entire".
How do you pronounce Emma?
EM-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Emma getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 2 of 35 regions, falling in 15.
Which sister names go with Emma?
The deck's top five sisters for Emma: Amelia, Alice, Sofia, Ella and Lily. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.