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Emma (given name)

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Emma is a feminine given name. It is derived from the Germanic word ermen, meaning "whole" or "universal".[1] It likely originated as a short form of names such as Ermengarde or Ermentrude. Its earliest use begins at least from the early seventh century, with Frankish royal daughter Emma of Austrasia and the wife of Eadbald of Kent found in written sources. Its popularity in the medieval era increased because it was the name of Emma of Normandy, mother of Edward the Confessor. Emmeline is a Norman variant of Emma that was introduced to England by the Norman invaders in the 11th century. The name is etymologically unrelated to Amalia, Amelia, Emilia, and Emily, all of which are derived from other sources, but all of these names have been associated with each other due to their similarity in appearance and sound. Emma has been used as a short form of some of these names or shares diminutives such as Em or Emmy with them.[2]

Emma
An illustration of Emma Woodhouse from an edition of Emma by Jane Austen.
GenderFemale
Name dayApril 19
Origin
Word/nameAncient Germanic, Ancient Scandinavian, Old Norse, Italian, and Modern Scandinavian
Meaningwhole, universal
Other names
Variant form(s)Ema
Related namesAmalia, Amalie, Amelia, Amélie, Armgarð, Emeline, Emilia, Émilie, Emily, Emanuela, Emmalee, Emmaline, Emmeline, Emmett, Emmy, Em, Ermengarde, Ermentrude, Ermina, Erminie, Irma, Irmgard, Irmina

Popularity

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It became popular in the United States late in the 20th century, reaching the top 100 names for girls in the late 1990s. It has been among the top five names given to girls since 2002, and was the most popular name for girls in 2008 and from 2014 to 2018.[3]

In England and Wales it was number 14 in 1996 but has dropped in popularity since (number 61 in 2021).[4]

In Canada, it was the second most popular name given to girls in 2022.[5]

Notable people

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Characters

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Emma. Oxford References. January 2006. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  2. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 13, 90-91. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  3. ^ "Popular Baby Names". Social Security Administration. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Baby names in England and Wales: from 1996 - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2024. Data from 1996 to 2021
  5. ^ "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  6. ^ Wald, Alan M. (2018-01-18). "Marxism and Intellectuals in the United States". University of North Carolina Press. 1. doi:10.5149/northcarolina/9781469635941.003.0012.
  7. ^ Redmonds, George (2007). Names and History: People, Places and Things. Continuum. p. 111. ISBN 9781852855079.
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