Emma

The Ermintrudes of long ago are the Emmas of today — so it's a name that has, in some form, been popular for centuries. Many names (like Ermintrude!) began with the Old Germanic element "ermunaz", meaning "whole" or "universal". As names tend to do, it was shortened; "ermun" became Irma, which morphed into Emma. Who knew way back then, when the Normans introduced it to England in the 11th century, that Emma would be one of the most popular girl names in the present-day?!

"Popular" is almost an understatement for this short-but-sweet powerhouse, which has been on the U.S. Social Security Administration's list of the top 1000 most popular baby names consistently since they started tracking usage of names in the 1880s. In that decade, it was the #3 most popular name, which indicates it had already been in steady use for quite a while. Its use gradually declined until the mid-'70s — but even on a decline, it never dropped lower than 445. By 1993, it was firmly back in the top 100. By 2002, it was in the top five ... where it's been ever since, six of those years holding the coveted #1 spot!

We'd be here all day if we were to list all the notable Emmas throughout history. Emma was a popular name with nobility, borne by several Anglo-Saxon and Norman queens, including Emma of Normandy, the wife of King Ethelred II and mother of King Edward the Confessor. A few modern-day recognizable Emmas include actresses Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, Emma Stone, and Emma Roberts; poet Emma Lazarus; and singer Emma Bunton (a.k.a. Baby Spice!). There's also "Emma," the acclaimed novel by Jane Austen.

Emma in quotes:

"The real evils, indeed, of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself: these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. The danger, however, was at present so unperceived, that they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her.” — 'Emma' by Jane Austen