Emma
Girl name · #3 in 2025 · Very well-known
Emma is currently the #3 girl name in the United States — 12,754 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 141 girls born in 2025 was named Emma.
The 145-year story
Emma first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 2,003 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2003, when 22,719 girls were named Emma — good for #2 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Emma per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Emma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Emma in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Emma is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Emma is most common
Geography matters for names, and Emma is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Emma is most common in DC (18 per 1,000), AK (18 per 1,000), WY (17 per 1,000), HI (17 per 1,000), VT (15 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 9.8 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Emma is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Emma
Statistically, parents drawn to Emma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sophia, Mia, Ava, Olivia, and Isabella.
SophiaMiaAvaOliviaIsabellaSofiaEllaAmelia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Emma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,754 | #3 |
| 2024 | 13,524 | #2 |
| 2023 | 13,590 | #2 |
| 2022 | 14,512 | #2 |
| 2021 | 15,549 | #2 |
| 2020 | 15,723 | #2 |
| 2019 | 17,226 | #2 |
| 2018 | 18,824 | #1 |
| 2017 | 19,873 | #1 |
| 2016 | 19,550 | #1 |
| 2015 | 20,487 | #1 |
| 2014 | 20,970 | #1 |
| 2013 | 20,973 | #2 |
| 2012 | 20,976 | #2 |
| 2011 | 18,825 | #3 |
| 2010 | 17,366 | #3 |
| 2009 | 17,910 | #2 |
| 2008 | 18,830 | #1 |
| 2007 | 18,390 | #3 |
| 2006 | 19,133 | #2 |
| 2005 | 20,362 | #2 |
| 2004 | 21,625 | #2 |
| 2003 | 22,719 | #2 |
| 2002 | 16,558 | #4 |
| 2001 | 13,327 | #13 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Emma a popular girl name?
Emma ranked #3 among girls in 2025 with 12,754 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #1.
When was the name Emma most popular?
Emma peaked in 2003, when 22,719 American girls received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 2003 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Emma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 141 newborn American girls was named Emma. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.