Emma
Say it: EM-a/ˈɛmə/
GirlMeans whole, universal4 letters2 syllables
#28
in Ireland (2025)
#29 with spellings combined
137
babies in 2025
#1
best rank (2003)
26,364
babies since 1964
Down 27
10-year rank change
Emma through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 137 | #29 |
| 2024 | 187 | #17 |
| 2023 | 183 | #20 |
| 2022 | 250 | #11 |
| 2021 | 233 | #15 |
| 2020 | 237 | #16 |
| 2019 | 276 | #12 |
| 2018 | 366 | #3 |
| 2017 | 393 | #2 |
| 2016 | 365 | #7 |
| 2015 | 449 | #2 |
| 2014 | 441 | #3 |
| 2013 | 499 | #2 |
| 2012 | 497 | #3 |
| 2011 | 562 | #3 |
| 2010 | 571 | #3 |
| 2009 | 627 | #3 |
| 2008 | 637 | #4 |
| 2007 | 632 | #2 |
| 2006 | 593 | #2 |
| 2005 | 703 | #1 |
| 2004 | 787 | #1 |
| 2003 | 791 | #1 |
| 2002 | 532 | #4 |
| 2001 | 592 | #3 |
| 2000 | 594 | #4 |
| 1999 | 549 | #6 |
| 1998 | 514 | #5 |
| 1997 | 623 | #4 |
| 1996 | 617 | #2 |
| 1995 | 600 | #5 |
| 1994 | 617 | #4 |
| 1993 | 638 | #3 |
| 1992 | 616 | #3 |
| 1991 | 682 | #2 |
| 1990 | 617 | #2 |
| 1989 | 609 | #3 |
| 1988 | 613 | #3 |
| 1987 | 636 | #3 |
| 1986 | 605 | #5 |
| 1985 | 634 | #5 |
| 1984 | 493 | #8 |
| 1983 | 560 | #7 |
| 1982 | 570 | #8 |
| 1981 | 568 | #7 |
| 1980 | 525 | #11 |
| 1979 | 480 | #11 |
| 1978 | 348 | #24 |
| 1977 | 283 | #30 |
| 1976 | 248 | #36 |
| 1975 | 226 | #38 |
| 1974 | 220 | #41 |
| 1973 | 177 | #50 |
| 1972 | 96 | #86 |
| 1971 | 53 | #131 |
| 1970 | 87 | #93 |
| 1969 | 43 | #139 |
| 1968 | 30 | #161 |
| 1967 | 20 | #179 |
| 1966 | 10 | #226 |
| 1965 | 15 | #198 |
| 1964 | 8 | #245 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Emma mean?
Whole, universal
Germanic, a short form of names beginning with ermen or irmin (whole, universal).
Say it right
EMa
The story of Emma
Emma began as a short form of old Germanic names that started with ermen or irmin, meaning “whole” or “universal”, such as Ermengarde. The Normans brought it to England, where Emma of Normandy, mother of Edward the Confessor, carried it. It is not related to Emily or Amelia, though the names are often linked.
It was fashionable again in the nineteenth century, and Jane Austen gave it to the heroine of her 1815 novel Emma.
Emma was a modest name in Ireland in the 1960s, then climbed steeply through the 1970s. It was in the top 10 every year from 1981 to 2018, and it reached number 1 in 2003, when 791 girls were named Emma. It was top in Northern Ireland that year too. It has fallen back since. In 2025 it was number 28 in the CSO’s table.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Emma (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Emma (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland, full name list 1997-2025
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Emma | 137 | 26,364 |
In Northern Ireland
#77 in 2025 with 27 babies. Best rank #1 (2003); 4,313 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.