Fun Facts About the Name Ema
- More than 4 thousand babies named Ema: U.S. records list 4,857 babies given the name Ema from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ema Mean?
Ema is a feminine given name most commonly explained as a variant of Emma, a name of Germanic origin. The usual etymology traces it to the Germanic element ermen- or irmin-, meaning "whole" or "universal." In this explanation, Emma began as a short form of compound Germanic names containing that element, such as names beginning with Erm-, and later became a name in its own right. The literal sense is "whole" or "universal"; later symbolic readings such as "all-embracing" are interpretations rather than separate etymologies.
As a variant, Ema shares that Germanic meaning but has its own spelling conventions in several languages. It is a standard feminine form in Czech, Slovak, Slovene, and Croatian, and it appears alongside Emma in Spanish and Portuguese. Separately, Ema is also a Japanese feminine name, usually written with kanji or in hiragana; because the characters vary, it has no single fixed meaning and is unrelated to the Germanic name.
Ema Name History & Origins
The Germanic name Emma is found in medieval Europe. It was borne by Emma of Normandy (c. 985 - 1052), queen consort of England, Denmark, and Norway; her name appears in Latin and Old French records as Emma. The name is also recorded in medieval England, where it was used by noblewomen. The spelling Ema developed as a localized form in several European languages.
In Czech, Slovak, Slovene, and Croatian, Ema is a standard feminine name, with the single m reflecting local orthography. In Spanish and Portuguese, Ema is a variant of Emma. The name also has an unrelated Japanese life: Ema is a feminine given name written with various kanji or in hiragana, so its meaning is determined by the characters rather than by the Germanic root. The shared spelling does not indicate a shared origin.
How Popular is the Name Ema?
Ema recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #717 in 1883.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,349 | 164 | 0.0102% |
| 2024 | #1,557 | 136 | 0.0084% |
| 2023 | #1,426 | 156 | 0.0097% |
| 2022 | #1,509 | 144 | 0.0088% |
| 2021 | #1,876 | 106 | 0.0065% |
| 2020 | #1,512 | 141 | 0.0087% |
| 2019 | #1,468 | 150 | 0.0089% |
| 2018 | #1,678 | 124 | 0.0073% |
| 2017 | #1,656 | 130 | 0.0075% |
| 2016 | #1,506 | 151 | 0.0085% |
| 2015 | #1,472 | 156 | 0.0087% |
| 2014 | #1,515 | 145 | 0.0081% |
| 2013 | #1,571 | 137 | 0.0078% |
| 2012 | #1,594 | 136 | 0.0077% |
| 2011 | #1,417 | 161 | 0.0092% |
| 2010 | #1,613 | 134 | 0.0075% |
| 2009 | #1,531 | 148 | 0.0081% |
| 2008 | #1,522 | 153 | 0.0081% |
| 2007 | #1,638 | 136 | 0.0071% |
| 2006 | #1,463 | 152 | 0.0080% |
| 2005 | #1,539 | 133 | 0.0072% |
| 2004 | #1,501 | 134 | 0.0073% |
| 2003 | #1,545 | 125 | 0.0068% |
| 2002 | #2,103 | 81 | 0.0045% |
| 2001 | #2,610 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2000 | #2,873 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 1999 | #3,009 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1998 | #2,808 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 1997 | #3,843 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1996 | #3,869 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1995 | #3,168 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1994 | #3,050 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1993 | #4,296 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1992 | #4,908 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1991 | #5,244 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #5,361 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #5,366 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #3,931 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1987 | #7,548 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #5,532 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1985 | #4,321 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #5,297 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1983 | #4,734 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #4,774 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #4,793 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1980 | #6,031 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #4,279 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1978 | #6,073 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1977 | #7,766 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #4,207 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #3,541 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1974 | #3,904 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1973 | #4,972 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #4,876 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #5,966 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #5,590 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #6,469 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #7,082 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #6,809 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,435 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #6,071 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #4,645 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #5,897 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #5,758 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #5,047 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #6,347 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #5,486 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #5,382 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #4,805 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #3,164 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1952 | #5,810 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #4,502 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #3,111 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1949 | #3,698 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #4,314 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #3,800 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #2,419 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1945 | #3,469 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #3,474 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1943 | #3,919 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1942 | #2,874 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1941 | #3,341 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #2,798 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1939 | #2,637 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1938 | #2,789 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1937 | #2,354 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1936 | #2,934 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1935 | #2,130 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1934 | #1,722 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1933 | #1,853 | 18 | 0.0018% |
| 1932 | #1,834 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1931 | #1,565 | 24 | 0.0023% |
| 1930 | #1,720 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1929 | #1,569 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1928 | #1,514 | 28 | 0.0024% |
| 1927 | #1,565 | 28 | 0.0023% |
| 1926 | #1,892 | 21 | 0.0018% |
| 1925 | #2,135 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1924 | #2,341 | 16 | 0.0013% |
| 1923 | #1,498 | 30 | 0.0025% |
| 1922 | #1,477 | 31 | 0.0026% |
| 1921 | #2,997 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1920 | #1,903 | 21 | 0.0018% |
| 1919 | #2,009 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1918 | #2,721 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1917 | #2,353 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1916 | #1,973 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1915 | #1,587 | 22 | 0.0022% |
| 1914 | #1,839 | 14 | 0.0018% |
| 1913 | #2,621 | 7 | 0.0011% |
| 1912 | #2,458 | 7 | 0.0013% |
| 1911 | #2,277 | 6 | 0.0014% |
| 1910 | #1,555 | 10 | 0.0025% |
| 1909 | #2,036 | 6 | 0.0017% |
| 1904 | #1,295 | 9 | 0.0033% |
| 1903 | #1,877 | 5 | 0.0019% |
| 1902 | #1,246 | 9 | 0.0034% |
| 1900 | #2,019 | 5 | 0.0017% |
| 1899 | #1,466 | 6 | 0.0026% |
| 1898 | #1,413 | 7 | 0.0027% |
| 1897 | #1,194 | 8 | 0.0034% |
| 1896 | #1,466 | 6 | 0.0025% |
| 1895 | #1,153 | 9 | 0.0039% |
| 1890 | #1,130 | 7 | 0.0037% |
| 1889 | #970 | 8 | 0.0045% |
| 1887 | #747 | 10 | 0.0069% |
| 1885 | #1,090 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1884 | #959 | 6 | 0.0047% |
| 1883 | #717 | 8 | 0.0071% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ema Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Ema's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ema's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.