Gemma is the Italian word for "gem" or "precious stone" and was used as a given name in medieval Italy; Dante's wife was called Gemma Donati. It has long been popular in Britain and Italy and has recently caught on with American parents too. Gemma entered the US top 1000 in 2008, climbed from number 269 in 2015 to number 170 in 2025 and is at its best rank so far.