Baby Names

What Does The Name Emma Mean? (Plus Variations, Trends, & Famous People)

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what does the name emma mean

 

Overview 

You might be wondering, “What does the name Emma mean?” We have answers to your Emma questions below, including naming trends, famous Emmas (real and fictional), variations, etc.

 

Information About Emma

Emma Name Meanings: What Does Emma Stand For?

The baby name Emma means “whole,” “entire,” or “universal.”

 

Origin & History

Emma is a baby girl name that comes from the Germanic wordermen.”

This Old German name is among the favorite names in literature, such as the fictional character Emma Woodhouse in English author Jane Austen’s 1816 novel, “Emma.”

The name began its popularity in England, thanks to Emma of Normandy, who married the English king Aethelred II, then Cnut the Great. She became the queen of Denmark, England, and Norway through these royal unions.

You might have also heard of the Emma mattress brand from Ireland (it also sells in the US and Canada).

 

Pronunciation

  • Em-mah

 

Is Emma A Last Name?

Yes. Emma is both a first name and a last name. You can also use it as a middle name for girls.

 

What’s the Gender Of Emma?

It’s a primarily female name. 

 

Emma is a popular baby girl name in the US, currently ranking as the top #2 based on real baby birth statistics, according to the SSA (Social Security Administration). (1)

 

Emma Popularity Trend Over The Years

According to other SSA data, Emma has been in the top 3 most popular names since 2003. It ranked fourth in 2002. (1)

 

Emma Popularity In US States

Emma is also very popular across the US. It ranks in the top 5 (based on the SSA’s latest data as of 2021) in most US states, except: (2)

  • Alaska
  • Hawaii 
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon

 

FAQs About Emma Name Meaning

Is Emma A Beautiful Name?

Yes. This German girl name is considered a beautiful name and is quite popular.

 

Is Emma A Royal Or Princess Name?

Yes. There have been several queens or princesses named Emma throughout history, including Queen Emma of Normandy, who was also the queen of Denmark, England, and Norway.

 

What Does The Name Emma Mean In The Bible?

Emma isn’t specifically a biblical girl name. However, it can be a short, feminine form of the biblical boy name “Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”

 

What’s The Meaning Of Emma In Hebrew?

Emma means “my God has answered” or “all containing” in Hebrew. It can also mean “God with us” (if linked to the Hebrew boy name “Emmanuel”).

 

What Colors Are Linked With Emma?

Your baby’s favorite colors can vary, but Emma is often associated with “girly” and more feminine colors such as pink, magnolia, and light yellow.

 

What’s The Personality Of Someone Named Emma?

Babies can have different personalities that don’t depend on their names or name meaning. However, many Emmas are also associated with strong and powerful personalities.

 

Emma Boy Name Variations

  • Emmet (German boy name)
  • Emmett (German)
  • Emmi (Latin)
  • Emmie (Latin and English)
  • Emmot (British)
  • Emmott (German and British)

 

Emma Unisex & Girl Name Variations

  • Ema (Croatian, Portuguese, and Spanish girl name)
  • Ema (Spanish)
  • Emalinda (German)
  • Emelina (Latin)
  • Emeline (German)
  • Emelyne (Latin)
  • Emi (Japanese girl name)
  • Emmalee (Latin)
  • Emmaline (Latin)
  • Emmalyn (English and Latin)
  • Emmalynn (Latin)
  • Emmalynne (Latin)
  • Emme (German)
  • Emmeleia (German)
  • Emmeline (Latin and German)
  • Emmelyn (German)
  • Emmelyne (Latin)
  • Erma (German)
  • Ima (Dutch and German)
  • Ima (German)
  • Irma (German)
  • Irmina (Polish name)

 

What Are Nicknames & Diminutives For The Name Emma?

  • Em
  • Emmy
  • Ems

 

Names You Can Pair With Emma

Middle Names For Girls To Pair With Emma

  • Brielle
  • Claire
  • Corrie
  • Elise
  • Jae
  • Kate
  • Marley
  • Mollie
  • Rose

 

Suggested Twin Or Sibling Names

Emma’s Twin Name

  • Alma
  • Amelia
  • Arya
  • Ella
  • Elsa
  • Emerson
  • Emilia
  • Enid
  • Eva
  • Everly

 

Emma’s Sister Names

  • Abigail
  • Blaire
  • Hazel
  • Lily
  • Lucy
  • Molly
  • Olivia
  • Sophie
  • Vega

 

Emma’s Brother Names

  • Andrew
  • Ethan
  • Luke
  • Noah
  • William

 

Rhyming Or Similar Names 

  • Anna
  • Ava
  • Della
  • Eija
  • Ela
  • Emelie
  • Emory
  • Esha
  • Esta
  • Etta
  • Gemma
  • Ida
  • Jemma
  • Lena
  • Lily
  • Maya
  • Mia
  • Mila
  • Selma

 

Other Names For Girls That Start with E

  • Ebony
  • Eileen
  • Elaina
  • Eleanor
  • Elena
  • Eliza
  • Elizabeth
  • Elsie
  • Ember
  • Emily
  • Erica
  • Evelyn

 

Famous Emma Celebrities & Figures

  • Emma Adbåge – Swedish illustrator and children’s book writer
  • Emily Jean “Emma” Stone – American actress
  • Emma BuntonEnglish singer-songwriter, best known as “Baby Spice” in the 90s girl group “Spice Girls
  • Emma Caulfield – American actress
  • Emma Chamberlain – Social media influencer and YouTube video creator
  • Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson – English actress
  • Emma De Caunes – French actress
  • Emma Donoghue – Irish novelist and playwright
  • Emma Ellingsen – Model from Norway
  • Emma Härdelin – Swedish musician
  • Emma Hellenkamp – American dancer and model
  • Emma Howard – American actress
  • Emma Jean Bell – American actress
  • Emma Johansson – Swedish cyclist
  • Emma Kate Lahana – New Zealand actress
  • Emma Kristina Degerstedt – American actress
  • Emma Lahana – Actress and singer from New Zealand
  • Emma Lazarus – American author
  • Emma Lazarus – American poet
  • Emma Lockhart – American actress
  • Emma Louise Blackery – British vlogger
  • Emma Louise Hewitt – Australian singer and songwriter
  • Emma Louise Slater – English dancer
  • Emma Marie Charlotte Sophie – The Princess of Prussia (daughter of Prince Georg Friedrich)
  • Emma Mitchell – Scottish football player
  • Emma Moore – English actress
  • Emma Myles – American actress
  • Emma Nelson – American actress
  • Emma of France – The King of West Francia’s Queen consort of Rudolph of Burgundy,
  • Emma of Normandy – Queen consort of Ethelred the Unready and, later, Cnut the Great of England
  • Emma Raducanu – British professional tennis player
  • Emma Rantalla – Finnish rhythmic gymnast
  • Emma Reyes – Colombian painter
  • Emma RobertsAmerican actress (the niece of legendary actress Julia Roberts)
  • Emma Stone – American actress and Academy Award winner 
  • Emma ThompsonBritish actress and Academy Award winner (she portrayed Professor Sybil Trelawney in the “Harry Potter” franchise)
  • Emma Tonegato – Australian rugby player
  • Emma Tremblay – American actress
  • Emma WatsonEnglish actress (she played Hermione in the “Harry Potter” series and Belle in the live-action of the Disney princess movie “Beauty and the Beast”)
  • Queen Emma of the Netherlands

 

Fantasy Characters & Emmas In Pop Culture

  • Emma Becker – Fictional character in “The Lying Game” mystery series
  • Emma Cordelia Carstairs – Fictional character in “The Mortal Instruments” and “The Dark Artifices” fantasy novel series
  • Emma Frost – “X-Men” character who is more skilled as a telepath than the powerful Jean Grey and also has a diamond form that’s invulnerable to telepathy
  • Emma Geller-Greene – The daughter of “Friends” characters Ross Geller and Rachel Greene
  • Emma PeelFantasy girl character on the British show, “The Avengers
  • Emma Pillsbury – Fictional character in the TV musical and comedy-drama “Glee
  • Emma Ross – Among the main characters on “Jessie” and its spin-off “BUNK’D
  • Emma Swan – One of the main characters in the TV show, “Once Upon a Time
  • Emma Woodhouse – Titular character, Emma Woodhouse, in “Emma” by Jane Austen 
  • Emma – From the 1996 movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow, “Emma,” which is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel
  • Emma – From the 2020 movie starring Anya Taylor-Joy, “Emma,” a period romantic comedy film also based on Austen’s novel

 

Celebrities Who Chose Emma Names For Their Babies

  • Emma Gretzky – daughter of Canadian former professional ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky
  • Emma Justine McBride – daughter of American country music singer-songwriter Martina McBride
  • Emma Katherine Walton Hamilton – daughter of English actress Julie Andrews 
  • Emma Yoshiko Hedican – daughter of American former figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi 

 

Celebrities With Emma As Last Name

  • American actress Brandi Emma

 

Emma In Songs

  • Emma Watson” by AJ Rafael
  • Emma Woodhouse” by Isobel Waller-Bridge 
  • “Emma Smetana” by Robin Zoot & Dj Rusty 
  • “Emma” by Imagine Dragons 
  • “Emma” by Andrew Barth Feldman 
  • “For Emma” by Bon Iver 
  • “Emma” by Little River Band

 

Name Lists With “Emma” On Motherhood Community

 

Other Two-Syllable Names For Girls

  • Aida
  • Alice
  • Asia
  • Aubrey
  • Charlotte
  • Chloe
  • Harlynn
  • Scarlett
  • Sena

 

Other Baby Name Meanings

 

 

You can also find ideas from the top 15 baby name generators.

 

Other Resources For Pregnant Moms

 

References

(1) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html

(2) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/state/top5_2021.html

 

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