Gender:

Female

Meaning:

“universal” (in German)

Etymology:

This name was derived from ermen, the Germanic word meaning “whole”. However, it is often considered a diminutive of all the names with the prefix Em- (e.g. Emmeline, Amelia). It was brought to England by the Normans in the 11th century, and it became popular probably due to Emma of Normandy, who was the Queen of England at that time.

Hemma of Gurk (St. Emma) is the patron saint of the Austrian state of Carinthia and the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt. Her feast day is celebrated on 27th June.

Variants in different languages:

Czech, Croatian, Slovak, Slovene: Ema
Hungarian, Lithuanian: Irma

Fun facts:

There are three differently spelled diminutives of this name in English: Em, Emmie, Emmy.

Name days:

Croatia
19th June, 23rd January: Ema

Finland
19th Amy: Emma

France
19th April: Emma

Hungary
19th April: Emma

Lithuania
20th March: Irma

Poland
24th November, 28 December: Emma

Famous people:

Emma Bunton (born 1976), English singer
Emma Caulfield (born 1973), American actress
Emma Darwin (1808 - 1896), wife of Charles Darwin
Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887), American poet
Emma Roberts (born 1991), American actress
Emma Samms (born 1960), English actress
Emma Sandys (1843 - 1877), English painter
Emma Shah (born 1981), Kuwaiti singer
Emma Shapplin (born 1974), French singer
Emma Stone (born 1988), American actress

Additional information:

In astrology the name’s ruling planet is Mars, and its lucky days are Tuesday and Thursday. According to numerology this name is borne by strong, adventurous, spiritual, restless women who love freedom.

Popularity of the name:

Australia: 26th in 2015
England: 57th in 2014
Germany: 1st in 2014
Iceland: 6th in 2014
Ireland: 3rd in 2014
Netherlands: 2nd in 2015
New Zealand: 17th in 2015
Norway: 1st in 2015
Scotland: 15th in 2015
Spain: 13th in 2014
Sweden: 30th in 2015
USA: 1st in 2015