Emma is a Germanic name derived from ermen or irmin, meaning "whole" or "universal", and was originally a short form of names such as Irmgard. Emma of Normandy, queen of England in the 11th century, and Jane Austen's heroine kept it in use for centuries. In the United States Emma has been a top 10 name since 2002, was number one from 2014 to 2018 and still ranks third in 2025.