Emma (given name)


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. Its popularity in the Middle Ages increased because it was the name of Emma of Normandy, mother of Edward the Confessor. Emmeline is a Norman variant of that was introduced to England by the Norman invaders in the 11th century. The name is etymologically unrelated to Amalia, Amelia, Emilia, and Emily, but all these names have been associated with each other due to their similarity in appearance and sound. Emma has been used as a short form of some of these names, and it shares diminutives such as Em or Emmy with them.

Popularity

It became popular in the United States late in the 20th century, reaching the top 100 names for girls in the late 1990s. It has been among the top five names given to girls since 2002, and was the most popular name for girls in 2008 and from 2014 to 2018.
In England and Wales it was number 14 in 1996 but has dropped in popularity since.
In Canada, it was the second most popular name given to girls in 2022.

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