Emmy began as a pet form of Emma and Emily and shares Emma's Germanic root ermen, meaning "whole" or "universal". Mathematician Emmy Noether is its most distinguished bearer, and for most Americans the name also calls to mind the television awards. As a name in its own right Emmy has been in the US top 1000 since 2007, moving up from the 600s in 2015 to number 445 in 2025, its highest rank yet.