Ema is a girl name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ema means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ema across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ema has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ema is a girl name of Germanic origin meaning “whole, universal”. A variant spelling of Emma.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,857 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 936 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 17 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 36 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 191 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ema per year, United States (1883 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (164/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (71/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2015 (18/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2018 (6/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2014 (4/yr).
Ema is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #2,534 nationally (given to 205 babies that year).
Emma · Amy · Oma · Amya · Ima · Emmy · Ami · Amia
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