I love the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. It’s so simple and sweet, yet it stays elegant and has a timeless quality to me. The only issue is it’s popularity, which me and my husband are less than thrilled about.
I know that the SSA data came out yesterday and [name_f]Emma[/name_f] dropped to #2. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you guys think it’ll drop more or stay in the top 10 for a few more years? Is the popularity enough that we should drop it from our list for this baby? Our other top choices are [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] or [name_f]Annika[/name_f], but I don’t love them as much as I love [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. DH also likes [name_f]Gemma[/name_f], but to me [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] feels a lot more trendy than just [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and we want her to have a timeless name.
I don’t think so! I love [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. It’s a beautiful name – clearly popular for a reason. If [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is the name you love most, then [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is the name you should use!
I love [name_f]Emma[/name_f] too! The [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] connection is a nice bonus. I imagine the percentage of girls named [name_f]Emma[/name_f] will continue to decline, because that’s the general trend for girls’ names (the top names now are less common than the top names 10, 20, 50 years ago).
Also, you can check the stats for your state—[name_f]Emma[/name_f] might be less common where you live. Here in [name_u]Texas[/name_u], for example, [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]’s not in the top 10, and [name_u]Harper[/name_u]’s all the way at #19!
But, that aside, as other posters have said, go with the name you love.
There’s no way that the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f] could ever wow me. It’s not a bad name but I’ve never seen [name_f]Emma[/name_f] in a combo and thought that it made the name feel interesting or fun in any way. I could easily name a dozen girls I know with the name off the top of my head so it just feels so overdone to me. I don’t think popularity should be the reason people don’t use a name if popularity doesn’t bother them. I’m just so bored by [name_f]Emma[/name_f].
I don’t see [name_f]Emma[/name_f] leaving the top 10 for another few years, at the least. It’s been in the top 5 since 2002, and she’s dropped from #1 and risen back up before. When she does leave, I feel like she’ll still hover in the top 50 for a long time (she’s never ranked outside of the top 500). On the plus side, the constant popularity does mean that it’s a timeless name though.
Everyone should know how to spell and pronounce it.
It’s popular because it’s beautiful.
She’d (hopefully) be the only [name_f]Emma[/name_f] in your family.
People try to avoid popular names so much that [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is not as popular as names like [name_m]John[/name_m] and [name_f]Mary[/name_f] used to be.
Cons of [name_f]Emma[/name_f]:
She would likely be one of a few and have to use her last name too.
Name suggestions:
Emmeline
Emmalyn
Emery
Emilia
Good luck! Whatever you choose will be perfect for your daughter!
I personally adore [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. And if you love it too, then go for it! And if you’re worried about meeting loads of little [name_f]Emma[/name_f]’s, I can only say that, despite it’s popularity, I’ve only ever met one [name_f]Emma[/name_f], and she’s 18. So there’s still a chance the name will still be unique where you live too!
It’s almost the only popular girl’s name that I love. So pretty to say! If you love it you should use it.
Or, other options:
[name_f]Emmie[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u]
Emma strikes me as a bit ever popular and slightly bland but if it’s the one you love you shouldn’t let that bother you. It’s a versatile name with history so if you don’t love anything more, stick with [name_f]Emma[/name_f]
I’ve actually never been a big fan of [name_f]Emma[/name_f] sound wise but saying that I don’t think that the popularity of a name should put you off if it’s one you love. The chances are that your [name_f]Emma[/name_f] will be in a class with a few other [name_f]Emma[/name_f]’s which apart from being a tiny bit confusing at first isn’t really that terrible. It’s a timeless, classic and beautiful literary choice and therefore is popular for a good reason. So I say go for it!
I love how [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is one of a small set of names that travels well almost all over the world—easily pronounceable, internationally popular (though yes, very popular).
Plus, as a big fan of [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u], I find the literary connection very charming—and also a good reminder that [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is an enduring classic.
Finally, error-proof spelling and pronunciation, and adorable nickname potential.
Really the only thing it has going against it is that so many other people like it too
Between [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Annika[/name_f], [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] and [name_f]Emma[/name_f] I prefer [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. I will say going from #1 to 2 isn’t too promising that it’s on its way off the popularity list anytime soon. I think you’ll have to decide if that’s enough o drop it. BUT… I wouldn’t “drop it” with names you don’t love as much or more then [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. I will say, my name is [name_f]Kristina[/name_f], the older I got it seemed the more popular I realized and it’s many variations are so for my own kids I intentionally picked names that were t as popular… I didn’t loathe my name though and if you go with [name_f]Emma[/name_f] because you love it I don’t see how your daughter could fault you for that rather only appreciate the name even more.
I do like the suggestions if you’re up for it if possible ways to go for a longer name. I would say [name_f]Emmalie[/name_f], [name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f] and [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f] are ones that I think work best to guarantee getti nt the [name_f]Emma[/name_f] nn.
You could always go for ones that are equally short, timeless with the double letter like [name_f]Jenna[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f] or [name_f]Tessa[/name_f].
But all that to say I like [name_f]Emma[/name_f]! Go with a name you love!
I love [name_f]Emma[/name_f] too! (but can’t use it personally because someone in my family already has this name) I also tend to veer away from more popular names, but I’ve been thinking about this more recently, and I realized it doesn’t matter nearly as much as I thought it did.
As @duckoatah already pointed out, [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is not as common as names that used to be super popular in the past were. Let’s do some math: The 2019 statistics show that 0.9382% of females born in the U.S. that year were named [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. That means there is about 1 [name_f]Emma[/name_f] for about every 100 girls. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average public elementary school has just under 500 students. Let’s assume that half of them (250) are girls. And let’s say the school goes from kindergarten to 4th grade (5 grade levels). Because [name_f]Emma[/name_f] has been about 1% of all girls for the past 5 years, that means that even among the older grades when your daughter starts school, the chance of an [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is about 1 in 100. In short, there should only be about 2 to 3 [name_f]Emma[/name_f]'s in the whole school, and there may or may not be another one in the same grade as your daughter, but they likely wouldn’t even be in the same classroom.
When you think of popular names of the recent past, you may think of a name like [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f]. When [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] had it’s highest percentage of popularity, in 1974, it was 4% of all girls born, and in the years preceding and after 1974, it was often 3% of all girls. So that means instead of having 1 in every 100 girls with this name, like [name_f]Emma[/name_f], there were more like 1 in every 25 to 33. That makes a big difference!
If [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is your absolute favorite name, I think you should use it!
I love [name_f]Emma[/name_f] so much that I can’t possibly bring myself to talk you out of giving your baby such a beautiful name. It’s short but classy, timeless (as you said) and will fit her no matter what age she is. It’s also one of those names that looks good on job applications, if you know what I mean? Not that that’s something I would judge names on but if you love a name that has that it’s a bonus in my opinion. I love the nicknames [name_f]Em[/name_f](me) and [name_f]Emmy[/name_f], I love the way it sounds and I like [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_m]Watson[/name_m] so that makes me like the name even more In my country [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is not that popular though, it’s ranked about 40 I think.
EDIT: Also, it’s nice to have a name that works almost anywhere in the world I think. It’s so cool that if your baby decides to move somewhere in the future she won’t have to explain her name to everyone.
ok here’s the thing about popularity for me. If there is a name that I really love, I won’t drop it just because it’s in the top 50/100 like lots of berries do. Maybe even if it REALLY speaks to me and it’s in the top 10, I’ll go with it. The top 5 is when it becomes a problem for me. I have a unique name, and so do a lot of my friends. They all love having unique yet pronounceable names. Out of the hundreds of people that I’ve met with names in the top five, only about 5 of them loved their name. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is a big part of my personality and my uniqueness, and I don’t think anyone wants to feel like they aren’t special because there are five kids in their class with their names. HOWEVER [name_f]Emma[/name_f] has been in the number one spot for a super long time, meaning it’s going to start dropping in popularity. If you are in love with the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f] use it NOW because I have a feeling it’s going to drop for 10-15 years and then rise back up. I may be bias because I don’t like the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f], but if you really love it, you should go for it.
I think the most important thing here, is to choose the name that speaks to you. Listen to your gut! Personally, I used to like [name_f]Emma[/name_f], but the more a name lands within the top 20 I just don’t find it as appealing anymore. However, It could happen to be that your baby will be the only [name_f]Emma[/name_f] on the block/ in her classroom! You never know.
I don’t want to be biased and choose [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] Because like I say, it comes down to which name feels right, and fits your baby girl best.
Ok, I LOVE [name_f]Emma[/name_f]! I love it so, so much! It’s what sparked my interest in names in the first place, and I had a hard time finding a name that had the same warmth! It feels so home-y to me! I do think it will stay popular for awhile, but I’ve never let that bother me, and I don’t think you should either!
In my country [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is not that popular though, it’s ranked about 40 I think.
Because like I say, it comes down to which name feels right, and fits your baby girl best.