Fun Facts About the Name Jemmah
- 47 babies named Jemmah: U.S. records list 47 babies given the name Jemmah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jemmah Mean?
Jemmah is a spelling of the English name Jemma, and its meaning depends on which older name it is being used to represent. Through one route, Jemma is an English form of the Italian Gemma, which comes from the Latin gemma, meaning "gem," "jewel," or "bud" - the same Latin word behind English gem. On that reading the meaning is "gem" or "jewel."
Through the other route, Jemma is a short form of the biblical name Jemima. Jemima appears in the Book of Job (42:14) as one of the daughters of Job; the Hebrew form is Yemimah. The meaning of that Hebrew name is not settled. It is often glossed as "dove," and a second common explanation connects it to Hebrew yom, "day," suggesting "daylight" or "warmth of the day." Because the derivation is disputed, the meaning of the Jemima branch of the family is best described as uncertain.
The final h in Jemmah is a spelling feature rather than a separate element: it does not change the sound of the name and follows the pattern of English biblical spellings such as Sarah, Hannah, and Susannah.
Jemmah Name History & Origins
The older of the two root names is Gemma, which was in use in medieval Italy. Gemma Donati, the wife of Dante Alighieri, is among its best-known bearers. The name also passed into Spanish and Catalan use, and the Italian form drew fresh attention through Saint Gemma Galgani, a mystic who died in 1903 and was canonized in 1940. English speakers took up the name and respelled it Jemma; in English the two spellings are pronounced alike, since g before e is soft.
The other root is the biblical Jemima of Job 42:14. English Puritans gave the name to daughters in the seventeenth century, and it stayed in use in Britain and North America; Jemima Wilkinson, an American religious leader of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, is one notable bearer. In the United States the name is also widely recognized from the "Aunt Jemima" trademark, taken in the late nineteenth century from a minstrel-show song and renamed in 2021 after criticism of the racial stereotype it carried. The spelling Jemimah, with a final h, is also found in parts of Africa, including Nigeria and Kenya.
Jemmah itself is uncommon. It is not the standard spelling of either Gemma or Jemima, and it can be read either as Jemma with a final h or as a clipped form of Jemimah with the middle syllable dropped. Either way the name is said the same way. The two older names have separate histories and unrelated origins rather than a shared root.
How Popular is the Name Jemmah?
Jemmah has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2014. Its best rank was #11,385 in 2014.
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 | #12,470 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #16,177 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #14,550 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #16,714 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #15,317 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #11,385 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #11,676 | 9 | 0.0005% |
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 Jemmah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Jemmah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jemmah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.